Grant will expand wireless Internet: ; Charleston Urban Renewal Authority money to extend access to Main Street's network

The East End Main Street wireless Internet program will beexpanding, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Charleston UrbanRenewal Authority.

The agency approved the funding request during a meeting onWednesday. The money will be used to expand the free Internetservice beyond its current bounds, said Ric Cavender, director ofthe East End group.

Right now, the wireless service can be accessed only in the 1600block of Washington Street East, from Greenbrier Street to just pastthe East End Dog Park near Maxwell Street, and around the CharlestonEnterprise Center on Smith Street.

The East End Main Street offices are in the Enterprise Center.

"We want to expand the service to down past the dog park and getcloser to the CAMC area," Cavender said. "And we want to havewireless service around the ballpark and in some of the businessesin the warehouse district."

Cavender said the $5,000 provided by the authority would be usedto pay for another year of wireless service and to purchase hardwarefor the expansion.

"We'd like to see the network expanded by the end of the year,"he said. "But I'm not sure how far we'll have expanded by then."

The wireless network is currently down because the East End MainStreet offices are moving. But Cavender expects it to be back up andrunning in the next couple of days.

"This is really an innovative program," he said.

Cavender said Internet service is an economic development toolbecause it encourages people to come to the East End allowsbusinesses to offer free wireless service in their buildings withoutarranging for it themselves.

"This is something a lot of communities around the state aredoing," he said. "We're happy to have been a pioneer with thisprogram in the Kanawha Valley."

East End Main Street has been offering wireless service sinceJuly 2008. Cavender said he would like to attract corporate sponsorsfor the service.

The authority board also voted to give East End Main Street$5,000 to pay for a fence around a proposed open-air market, whichwill be placed at the corner of Washington Street East and RuffnerAvenue in the old Strait's Laundry lot.

Cavender hopes to have the market operational by June or July ofnext year.

The authority board also voted to authorize Director Jim Edwardsto send out requests for proposals for a website for the agency. Theauthority does not currently have a standalone website.

The website would include information on the properties theauthority owns around the city, Edwards said. It could help promotethose properties and attract developers.

"And another reason for the website is so community members willhave access to information about the agency and what we're workingon," he said.

Edwards hopes to have the request for proposals sent out to a"couple of dozen" firms within the month.

Contact writer Paul Fallon at paul.fallon@dailymail.com or 304-348-4817.