November Community Meetings for Malden Housing, Parks, Recreation, Arts and Culture

Special to The Advocate

MALDEN – The Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) will be hosting two community meetings in November focused on open space and recreation, planning and housing development. The City of Malden aims to ensure that these assets are accessible to everyone by engaging the community in the planning process. Residents are invited to provide input on important developments in the Malden community.

  Housing – Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6

  Acquired with $1,150,000 of City of Malden American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in January 2024, the 245 Bryant St. project is expected to produce approximately 35 units of affordable homeownership for low- to moderate-income residents. Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), the developers, will present a design, update the community on the timeline for the project and receive and respond to community input.

“By creating numerous affordable homeownership opportunities at the former site of the Congregation Agudas Achim Ezrath Israel, the 245 Bryant Street project is yet another example of the City working together to address the ongoing housing crisis in Malden,” said Mayor Gary Christenson, who is Chair of the Malden Affordable Housing Trust Fund. “We encourage residents to attend and provide feedback regarding the project.”

Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli said, “This community meeting will be critical for Ward 7 residents to make their voices heard. I’m excited to continue working with Mayor Christenson, ACDC, the Congregation, and Malden’s OSPCD to deliver affordable homeownership opportunities in Ward 7.”

This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid manner. The in-person meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on November 6 at Malden City Hall (215 Pleasant St.) in Room 105, which is located on the first floor. In-person and remote guests are encouraged to register for the Nov. 6 meeting at bit.ly/245bryantst. A zoom link will be shared with registrants shortly before the start of the meeting. Language interpretation is available upon request.

Open Space, Recreation, Arts and Culture – Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13

  The City is working to develop a new Open Space and Recreation Plan + Art (OSRP) to establish a community vision, goals and objectives for the future of Malden’s parks and open space. The objectives produced in this plan will prioritize future actions and investments in open space and recreation in Malden. Also, the City is taking advantage of the OSRP update to include an arts and culture component of the plan, with the intention of considering how arts and culture can enhance the City’s open space and recreation assets.

“The Open Space and Recreation Plan process has a legacy of bringing forth some of Malden’s most notable new community projects such as the Northern Strand Trail and improvements on the Malden River,” said Malden City Council President Steve Winslow (Ward 6), who has also been an active member of past Malden OSRPs. “The upcoming community meeting at the YMCA continues a tradition of strong public input in how to improve and expand our parks and open spaces to best serve the needs and interests of residents of all ages and abilities.”

All open space and recreation enthusiasts are encouraged to respond to the ongoing OSRP + Art Survey found at https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NgVCAcICVInQ0K?Q_Language=EN.

The upcoming public forum will be conducted in a hybrid manner on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. The in-person meeting will be held at Mystic Valley YMCA (99 Dartmouth St.) in the gymnasium located on the third floor. In-person and remote guests are encouraged to register for the Nov. 13 meeting at bit.ly/maldenopenspacemtg. A zoom link will be shared with registrants shortly before the start of the meeting. Language interpretation is available upon request.

For more info

More information about these projects is available at www.cityofmalden.org/osrp and www.cityofmalden.org/245bryant.