Michael Santa Croce is the ECS project manager dedicated to Lower Manhattan

New York’s communications systems are vast, sharing precious little space with many other utilities under the city’s roadways. But the downtown telephone and cable networks couldn’t exist without the work of Empire City Subway (ECS). ECS, a subsidiary of Verizon, is the company that operates ducts (or conduit) that house the fiber optics that allow our Internet and phone systems to work.

Michael Santa Croce is the ECS project manager dedicated to Lower Manhattan. A Staten Island native, Mr. Santa Croce is celebrating 30 years with the company this month -- making him especially knowledgeable about the technical elements of the ECS network. He works daily from the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC), serving as the Verizon/ECS representative for the numerous rebuilding and infrastructure projects active since September 11, 2001.

We asked Mr. Santa Croce about the work he does, and how his company continues to bring the latest telecommunications technology to Lower Manhattan.

How does ECS identify where its next projects need to occur?
Mr. Santa Croce: To answer your question I must tell you a little about the engineering side of ECS. ECS has a franchise agreement with the City of New York to build and own telecommunications manholes and mainline conduit (ducts) in Manhattan and the Bronx. Over the 120-plus years that we have been in existence, we have built -- and continue to build -- a vast network of underground facilities that we lease to communications companies. As the owner of those facilities we must, among other things, see that they are maintained and protected during construction projects.  

In the case of a City project, be it the Dept. of Design and Construction (DDC), Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Parks & Recreation, etc., we are consulted during the design phase of the job long before it is sent to the field for construction. This gives us time to review existing facilities, coordinate with the project owner, agencies, and Con Edison about their facilities. Then we can plan the work that needs to be done and phase the work as needed.

Once in the field, we have inspectors watching over the jobs on a daily basis. In the case of private projects where we may need to build new facilities, we are normally reactive; receiving our build requests only after the project is underway. Below Canal Street, however, this is not the case. As a member of the LMCCC I am informed of new projects very early in the process, giving me the opportunity to be proactive.

What is the biggest challenge to maintaining the telecommunications infrastructure in Lower Manhattan?
The DDC, EDC, MTA, Port Authority, state Dept. of Transportation -- all have shovels in the ground. Construction in Lower Manhattan seems to be everywhere. There are so many challenges, but one major one is space.

There are many utilities that coexist in the streets of Lower Manhattan

There are many utilities that coexist in the streets of Lower Manhattan.  Each street is a unique balance of telephone, gas, electric, steam, water, and sewer. And they all seem to be built on top of the subway. No two streets are the same. Anybody who has walked in Lower Manhattan has seen a mass excavation of the roadway and the utilities it contains. It is our job to work with the City during municipal projects to facilitate the installation of new water mains, sewers, catch basins, etc. so all of the utilities can once again coexist in the space allotted.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
The best part of my job is the opportunity to innovate. As the ECS Engineering Project Manager for the reconstruction of Route 9A (Promenade South) and the World Trade Center site, I’ve often faced issues stemming from the post-9/11 ECS builds and changes I needed to make to the Route 9A designs. Eventually my design changes were incorporated into the 9A plans, but it wasn’t until one of the builds was completed that I realized how much I enjoy watching one of my ideas grow from concept to the finished product built in the field. This is what it’s all about -- responding to the unique needs of each job and then building facilities that improve service for New Yorkers.

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