Mayor Christenson touts Malden’s resilience despite challenges in his State of the City Address

Mayor joined by cadre of city officials in detailing municipal achievements, infrastructure and other improvements in Malden over the past year

Special to The Advocate

Malden is a strong, vibrant and diverse community that has made great strides in a number of ways and in many parts of the city this past year. Mayor Gary Christenson told this to the audience at the well-attended 2026 State of the City Address delivered on Wednesday, March 18, at the Malden Senior Center/Teen Enrichment Center (MTEC) located at 7 Washington St. in Malden. The Mayor welcomed the many in attendance and thanked his staff and the members and personnel from MTEC, including Coordinator Cathy MacMullin, for hosting this year’s event, which was a change of venue from what had been a presentation in a traditional function hall.

Before he began a detailed account of the improvements, changes and infrastructure rehabilitation that has gone on in Malden this past year, the Mayor honed in on some characteristics which he said define this community, showing the substance and strength of this city and its residents: Resiliency, for one. “This year we’re stepping back from me coming out of a time capsule or hosting ‘Jeopardy,’ and instead, we’re focusing on a more personal delivery,” Mayor Christenson said.

“Tonight, I am confident that you will see, just as I feel in my heart, that the state of our city is resilient — resilient not because we are without challenges, but because we have the people ready to meet this moment, the creativity to solve problems, a community that lifts one another up and the determination to see our work through,” he added.

In addition to recapping the highlights of the past year in the State of the City Address, Mayor Christenson zeroed in on current events, including the upcoming Special Election on March 31, which asks taxpayers to consider supporting an increase in local property taxes beyond that allowed under Proposition 2 1/2. “We understand that asking residents in a hardworking gateway city like Malden to consider a voluntary increase in property taxes is a big ask,” the Mayor said. “It has critics, and we respect that, but it is an unprecedented step, driven by an unprecedented set of circumstances.”

“Regardless of where you stand on the override, the fact that our residents get to decide the future of our city is democracy at its best,” Mayor Christenson asserted.

The entirety of the 2026 State of the City Address can be viewed on the Malden Urban Media Arts (UMA) YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@_MATV

In the course of the evening’s event, the Mayor and the evening’s MC, Mark Linehan, were ably assisted by “guest” speakers, a cadre of various city officials, which included Director of Public Facilities Eric Rubin, City Clerk Carol Ann Desiderio, City Council President Amanda Linehan, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D., Department of Strategic Planning and Community Development Director Alex Pratt and City Solicitor Alicia McNeil. Also checking in to promote and report on their places in the city’s landscape were Jodie Zalk (Malden Reads), Marcel Schwab (Farmers Market), Katie Dillon/Sarah McDonald (Malden Porch Fest) and Malden Arts (Sandy Felder).

Some of the highlights and recent accomplishments in and around the city of Malden:

• Malden secured about $15 million in new grants to fund projects in a tight fiscal world, over $37 million since establishing the municipal position of Grants Manager in 2021.
• Over $10 million in park & recreational space improvements since 2020, in addition to $6 million now underway at Devir Park, coming soon at Maplewood Park and other sites, with 90% of all of these projects funded by grants from the state and federal level
• The Mayor announced the receipt of a new, $10 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toward the city’s ongoing lead pipe removal project, which to date has taken out 330 lead pipes around the community, as Malden moves toward one of the city’s biggest goals: lead pipe-free by 2032.
• Affordable housing remains a top priority of the city, with 200 new affordable units “in the pipeline for Malden residents”; with construction planned at Overlook Ridge and 245 Bryant St., investment in affordable housing projects is soaring to nearly $200 million.
• Malden received a $500,000 grant from MassDOT Complete Streets Program to improve accessibility and safety at city intersections and on roads. Malden also purchased two new fire engines at a cost of nearly $500,000 in ARPA funds as well as new police vehicles.
• Rubin announced that an additional $1.4 million in grant money was used to upgrade mechanical operations in city buildings this past year, and the city just last week announced a new $850,000 federal grant with the assistance of U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, to be used to repair aging school roofs on the city’s K-8 schools.
• City Clerk Desiderio reported pursuing grants to preserve and digitize historical city documents dating back to 1843, and make them accessible online. Also, the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition, along with the Chinese Progressive Association, Greater Boston Legal Services, and the Asian Community Development Corporation, gave Malden an “A” on their voting rights report card.
• A combination of federal, state and local grants are funding the new Malden River Works climate resilient park, which will allow Malden to become one of many cities with vibrant river walks.
• A new 12-unit veterans housing project at 105 Salem St., led by Volunteers of America of Massachusetts, will convert a former office space into dedicated housing for veterans, complete with onsite supportive services.
• The City Council has worked diligently in legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which can offer creative ways to find solutions to the housing crunch.
• “The most significant project in decades,” the Ward 3 Malden Hospital redevelopment, done in partnership with Tufts Medicine and Acadia Healthcare, is a state-of-the-art 144-bed behavioral health hospital that will meet a growing regional need while adding to the commercial tax base, since Acadia is a for-profit provider.
• Council President Linehan pointed out steps taken by the Council to make the city more “livable and affordable,” including the Ward Five pocket forest, the new Bainbridge Street speed humps and the citywide Porch Fest. All of the ideas for these initiatives originated with residents.
• The City Council created a new Economic Development Committee led by Ward 5 Councillor Ari Taylor. The committee is working to identify areas that can be quickly rezoned to maximize their redevelopment potential, with a particular focus on Commercial Street.
• Malden Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Timothy Sippel spoke on a renewed commitment to equitable access to opportunity for all students, including all five K-8 schools’ participation in the Nature’s Classroom off-site program this year and the school department’s new communication platform, Parent Square, which delivers information to families in their native language.
• Dr. Sippel described an overall Malden Public Schools “vision”: prioritizing high expectations, support for the district’s culturally diverse population and fair access for all. He noted strong collaboration between the district and city departments, including Public Facilities, whose personnel built the new Welcome Center for families at district headquarters at 110 Pleasant St.