After years of planning and some prodigious grant-writing, the Malden River Works project is nearing a major milestone — providing public access to the Malden River right here in Malden, no more need to drive to Everett or Somerville. When Phase I construction wraps up early this summer, the site will feature a nearly 300-foot-long floating dock, a flexible lawn space and a canopy of more than 200 trees as well as many native plants.
The city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) yard is also seeing improvements to address longstanding flooding issues with a stormwater drainage system and rain gardens to filter water before it reaches the river. To promote an open, welcoming environment, the design omits locked fences between the park space and the DPW, which will fully reopen after construction, according to Rebekah McPheeters, Malden’s sustainability & grants manager.
The project, launched around 2019, was a reach from the start.
“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, that’s a really cool vision. I definitely can get excited about this,” said State Senator Jason Lewis at a public meeting held last week to update the community. “And then I said, ‘These are crazy people. How are they ever going to make this happen?’”
A big part of the answer, according to Steering Committee Chairperson Marcia Manong, is a governance structure centered on a diverse group of community leaders, environmental advocates and government stakeholders. That coalition enabled Malden River Works to raise about $13 million from a mix of federal, state, private and local sources, including nearly $4 million in Mass Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grants and $3.5 million from the Gateway City Parks program. One anonymous donor gave $600,000…