Industry City

Industry City, formerly Bush Terminal, is a 19th-century industrial complex on the waterfront in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Founded by Bush Terminal Company head Irving T. Bush in the early 1900s, Bush Terminal was one of the first and largest integrated cargo and manufacturing sites in the world. During World War I, it was used as a U.S. Navy base, though it returned to private ownership after the war and eventually experienced a period of decline after World War II. The complex was rebranded as Industry City during the post-war years; in the 1970s and 1980s, sections of it were demolished or converted for other uses, including a shopping mall, federal prison, and garment district.

The owners of Industry City began attracting artists in 2009 by building artists’ studios and hosting film screenings and art installations. By the mid-2010s, artists were joined by a diverse mix of businesses, including garment manufacturers, data centers, and warehouses. Today, the area comprises roughly 71 acres, including 16 former factory buildings and 11 warehouses, which the owners are dedicated to furbishing with smart technology.

Reliable Controls Authorized Dealer Energy Control Service (ECS) began the mammoth task of retrofitting the building automation system at Industry City in 2010 during a $450 million redevelopment.

Industry City owners approached the redevelopment in part with a goal to reduce emissions and increase the energy efficiency of the site, introducing 15,000 new energy-efficient windows and $50 million in electrical upgrades and other energy-related infrastructure.

ECS installed 200 MACH-ProZone controllers, ideal for controlling small to mid-sized rooftop and heat pump units and small mechanical room equipment. For larger mechanical equipment that serves multiple buildings on-site, 3 MACH-ProCom and 20 MACH-ProSys controllers allow building operators to integrate equipment with numerous open protocols and complex systems. ECS implemented a mix of MACH-ProView and MACH-ProView LCD controllers to provide access to and control of comfort and energy performance in connected buildings.

Five MACH-ProLight controllers allow facility managers to implement advanced lighting control strategies such as daylight harvesting, dim-to-off control, vacancy control, plug-load control, and theme/scene control. By installing Reliable Controls SPACE-Sensor EnOcean devices, ECS was able to integrate a wide variety of EnOcean wireless sensors and control devices. Today sensors measure temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, light levels, and more.

ECS used RC-Studio to integrate mechanical equipment from multiple third-party vendors. Today, with the help of RC-Archive and RC-Reporter, stakeholders have access to data and analytics from 278,709 square meters of building area that help them effectively balance comfort and energy efficiency for multiple tenants. RC-RemoteAccess, a flexible BACnet Secure Network solution, simplifies IT management and improves data communications security for Industry City engineers, who often use the Reliable Controls myControl app to monitor conditions remotely. And RC-WebView connects multiple independent control systems at the site into a single Enterprise Website accessed by a secure single sign-on, providing scalable visibility and control at a glance.

This massive retrofit project at Industry City has already generated more than $1 million in energy savings. Reliable Controls and ECS are thrilled to be part of the ongoing efforts to revive the former Bush Terminal into an inspiring destination that offers art, food and drink, music, manufacturing, workspaces, technology businesses, and more.