Before the rivers were cleaned up and the channels cleaned out from 100 years of pollution, the rivers flooded every year and made for basement facilities impractical. In fact, the power utility had large power distribution transformers hanging high on pole structures in allies behind all the buildings in the downtown area. It has only been in the last 25 years that they began to place even larger transformers and distribution switching facilities underground. Verizon continues to maintain facility in the upper floors of almost all the major buildings.
Rcaman
