MVRCS board chair updates residents on Maplewood Square properties

~ Letter to the Editor ~

Dear Residents of Malden and Maplewood:

  The following is an update to the community from Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (MVRCS) in regard to its Maplewood Square properties purchased last summer.

  Please understand, several legitimate concerns were raised by residents and homeowners and are being taken into consideration. Hopefully, they can be resolved or mitigated as the school moves forward in its ongoing discussions with the Mayor’s Office. However, one must realize, no solution is ever perfect when dealing with many people and entities.

  MVRCS has been actively working with City officials to devise a plan to meet the needs of the Maplewood community and the School. No final decisions have been made, but one plan currently being discussed would yield benefits to all parties. That plan would include the following:

• Preserving 28 Lebanon St., the former bank building, for school use.
• Allowing continued use of a portion of the rear parking lot for the general public.
• Relocating 300 to 320 students from the Laurel St. area to Eastern Avenue in the future.
• Potentially creating a mixed use space plan at 12-24 Lebanon St. that maintains the character of Maplewood Square.

  In order to facilitate the long range plan, the building at 12-24 Lebanon St. will need to be demolished. Of course, this plan necessitates the displacement of the current tenants. MVRCS has worked with the housing tenants, seven apartments to start, in an effort to assist in their vacating the property. In all but one apartment, including the three Columbia St. apartments, the school has struck agreements with the tenants. All commercial tenants have already entered into agreements to vacate or already found other locations.

  As residential tenants have unique needs, MVRCS, in conjunction with the City, has extended a generous offer to the one tenant with whom we have not been able to reach an agreement. That attempted offer included:

• Extending the time to vacate until after the current school year concluded in June 2022.
• Assistance in finding alternative housing.
• Rent forgiveness for the remainder of the tenancy.
• Cash payments for first and last month, as well as security deposit for a new apartment.
• A cash payment of $4,500 for relocation expenses.

  Unfortunately, this offer has been rejected, leaving the school no option but to seek legal eviction.

  MVRCS will continue to work with the Mayor’s Office and will inform residents and business owners of potential plans as they materialize in our dialogue with the City. We thank you for your patience.

Very Truly Yours,

George D. Warren

Chairman, Board of Trustees

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School