THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 31, 2025 Page 5 Malden receives Mass. PARC grant to help acquire open space parcel at former hospital site City will purchase 6.7 acres from Tufts Medicine; use plans include passive recreational activities, walking trails By Steve Freker he City of Malden got some welcome news this week with the announcement of a $425,000 state grant that will help fund the acquisition of a land parcel from Tufts Medicine that it intends on using as park land. The Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grants — one for $425,000 headed to Malden — help cities and towns acquire, create and renovate outdoor recreation areas. The grants are provided through the Mass. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). Tufts Medicine joined with MelT Tufts Medicine, collaborating with MelroseWakefield Hospital and Acadia Healthc are , has constructed a 144-bed behavioral and teaching hospital at the former Malden Hospital. It plans on opening ahead of schedule before the end of November. (Courtesy Photo/Tufts Medicine) roseWakefield Hospital and Acadia Healthcare to acquire the former Malden Hospital site atop Hospital Road in the city’s West End in 2023. In a joint venture, construction is near completion on a $65 million, 144-bed behavioral health hospital there. The project has been right on schedule throughout construction and is slated to hold a ribbon-cutting and Grand Opening within the next four to six weeks, according to Malden city officials. Ward 3 Councillor Amanda Linehan has been instrumental in the process of identifying a developer for the site through all of her time in office. First elected in 2019, she has worked with community members — primarily the Friends of Fellsmere Heights (FFH) — to promote a use suitable to the wishes of both neighborhood residents and Malden city officials. A key focus of Councillor Linehan and FFH has been to preserve the green space on and around that site, and when it was revealed that the developers were willing to sell some of the adjacent land acreage to the City of Malden, officials acted quickly to finalize that agreement. Malden Hospital, which was formerly housed at the site, has since been razed and replaced by the new mental and behavioral health facility. The former hospital buildings had been sitting for nearly 25 years, unoccupied and unused, since Malden Hospital closed in 1999. “It’s exciting news, it’s something that has been long in the making and it will be a valuable addition to the Fellsmere neighborhood and all of Malden’s residents,” Councillor Linehan said of the land acquisition at a recent Candidates Forum, in announcing Malden’s receipt of the grant for the first time. In addition to the incoming $425,000 PARC grant, a Community Preservation Act allotment of $750,000 is also already approved and waiting to be used as well toward acquiring the large green space land parcel. Mass. Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll this week announced over $12 million in grants for projects in 40 communities across Massachusetts that will help protect open space, build parks and give more people access to the outdoors. The funding will support projects like the one planned in Malden: creating new walking trails and building passive neighborhood parks. Grants in other communities are going toward protecting forests and wetlands and preserving land near rivers and lakes that provide drinking water. “Protecting open spaces is about investing in the health, safety and wellbeing of our communities,” Gov. Healey stated in a news release delivered Monday. “These projects support local economies, improve public health and make our neighborhoods better places to live. This funding helps ensure that every resident has access to the benefits of nature.” These grants are part of a broader effort to support local climate resilience and land conservation. Gov. Healey’s recently introduced Mass Ready Act outlines new investments to protect water and nature while growing local economies and preparing communities for extreme weather. “Local governments and conservation commissions are essential to protecting the land that matters most to their communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “They know the land, they understand the needs, and they’re trusted by the people they serve. These grants give them the resources to turn local priorities into lasting protections.” Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Roofing •Free Estimates •Replacement Windows •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured Everett Aluminum Supplies Celebrating 66 Years in Business Since 1958!
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