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Vol. 20, No. 15
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Malden picks Boston architect for new City Hall By Barbara Taormina alden hopes to negotiate a contract with Flansburgh, a Boston-based architectural firm, for the design and construction management of the new City Hall. The Municipal Building Committee met this week for an update on Jefferson Apartment Group’s project in Malden Square which, in addition to 320 new apartments, will include a 45,000-square-foot office condo that will be the new home of city government. The committee voted to move forward with Flansburgh, which designed the new police station as well as Malden’s new school buildings. A final contract will depend on the city and the firm agreeing on a price for the work. “It was clear through their presentation that their knowledge of the community was a plus,� Planning Analyst Ron Hogan told committee members. Four architectural firms were interviewed for the job, but Hogan said city officials felt most comfortable with Flansburgh in part because of their history of working with Malden. Design ideas and options were discussed during the interview, and the next step will be for Flansburgh to present a proposal for the multistory City Hall condo.
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According to Flansburgh’s website, the firm’s designs emphasize sustainability, a building’s cultural and physical context and the use of glass and “sculpted natural light.� For Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley, Flansburgh’s signature design work offers a chance to return some of Malden’s spectacular skyline views to the community. Jefferson Apartment Group is about 45 days behind the initial construction schedule of the large, multiuse building project; however, there’s hope that workers can make up some of that time now that the warmer weather seems to have finally arrived. According to Hogan, the city can still expect to take over the “cold, dark, shell� of the new City Hall condo sometime next January. The goal is to open Malden’s new City Hall in the late summer or fall of 2019. In addition to City Hall and the apartments, the project includes 22,500 square feet of street retail space. Hogan told the committee that Jefferson Apartment Group has been cautious about sharing the names of any new retailers who have expressed an interest in opening up shop in Malden Square; however, the company has said they are pleased by the quantity and quality of the possible tenants for that retail space.
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Friday, April 13, 2018
Rep. Ultrino campaign kick-off great success
State Rep. Steven Ultrino is shown at his re-election campaign kick-off at Mixx 360 on Monday, April 9 with special guests Mayor Gary Christenson, Representative Paul Donato, and Speaker of the House Bob DeLeo. See more photo highlights on pages 12 and 13. (Advocate photos by Al Terminiello)
City considers easing restrictions on commercial growth By Barbara Taormina he Planning Board voted this week to throw their support behind a series of zoning changes that will make it easier for new businesses to open in Malden. The City Council’s Ordinance Committee worked with City Planner Michelle Romero on a list of changes that involve which types of businesses can operate in the city’s business and industrial zones. At this week’s joint public hearing with the Ordinance Committee, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend moving forward with those changes with a
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minor tweak to the proposal to allow artists to live and work in the city’s two industrial zones. Ordinance Committee Chairman/Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley pitched the list of changes by reminding Planning Board members that the recent growth management study showed that commercial development was a priority for residents. “We want to change various use categories from no to yes, or allowed by special permit,� explained O’Malley. For example, business schools, hotels and motels are currently not allowed in the city’s industrial districts. The new use catego-
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ries would allow those businesses to pursue special permits to operate in those zones. Restaurants, other than fast-food shops, and recreational businesses, such as theaters, cinemas and bowling allies, are allowed in industrial zones with a special permit. The use changes would al-
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