EEA gives thumbs up to Mayor’s request for Malden River Works funding

State delivers $3.5M grant to project

Special to The Advocate

The City of Malden is moving forward with the Malden River Works project thanks to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), which recently announced that it is awarding $3.5 million to the city through the Gateway City Parks Program. This funding ensures that the city can proceed with the bidding process for the project.

Mayor Gary Christenson is a longtime proponent and advocate for this project. For the past several months, he has been working alongside staff in the Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development to figure out a way to close the significant budget gap. Various funders were contacted, many meetings were held and a series of grant applications were submitted. Once the Mayor met with EEA, they worked quickly to grant Malden this incredible award.

“Receiving this critical funding was nothing short of a miracle,” said Mayor Christenson. “On behalf of the City of Malden, we are so grateful to the EEA for pushing our unique park project from vision to reality.”

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is pleased to provide the funding to reach this pivotal moment,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “I was able to tour the project last year and witnessed firsthand the teamwork that has moved Malden River Works forward. This grant moves us closer to a revitalized Malden River. As our planet warms, it’s more important than ever that communities like Malden can access and enjoy their beautiful natural resources.”

The Malden River Works project aims to create a climate-resilient waterfront park along the Malden River for everyone to access. The park will be situated at Malden’s Department of Public Works (DPW) site and will help reduce climate vulnerability by implementing nature-based solutions, such as green stormwater infrastructure to lower surface flood risk, increased tree canopy to minimize the “urban heat island” effect and an elevated greenway to act as a barrier against sea level rise. Additionally, the park will offer recreational opportunities, including a flexible lawn area, waterfront paths and a floating dock. The design is intended to be inclusive – welcoming visitors of all backgrounds, ages, languages, abilities and socioeconomic statuses. The site will also feature representations of Malden’s diverse cultures through signage, cultural events and outdoor classes.

The design for this project was the result of five years of collaboration between the City of Malden, the project team, which includes urban designers and watershed and climate resilience planners, and the Steering Committee. Planning studies conducted in 2017 and 2018 documented widespread interest in the river as a future civic asset from Malden residents and local stakeholders. For example, the Malden River Greenway Plan envisioned a network connecting riverfront open space in Malden, Medford and Everett. Born out of that regional concept, Malden River Works was shaped by residents into a project that is uniquely Malden.

In 2019 the Malden River Works project received the inaugural Leventhal City Prize from MIT’s Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism. This prize focuses on encouraging innovative urban design and planning strategies for equitable resilience. The award initiated a multiyear planning and fundraising campaign to create and finance the park – incorporating input from Malden residents.

The Gateway City Parks grant is the final funding needed for the Malden River Works project, allowing the project to be constructed in its entirety rather than in phases. This state program supports the development and restoration of parks and recreational facilities in underserved urban areas. The Gateway City Parks Grant is the single largest grant awarded to this project. Other sources of funding for the project include $1.56 million in federal earmarks, $983,000 from the Malden Community Preservation Act, $542,442 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, $1,309,131 from Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation, $654,187 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, $2,998,049 from EEA’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program, $500,000 from the Division of Conservation Service’s Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities grant program, $300,000 from Housing Choice and $600,000 from an anonymous donor. The City plans to put the entire project out to bid in September and expects to start construction by the end of the year.