Malden Receives $500K Grant For Boathouse Project

MALDEN, MA — The city announced this week that it has received a $500,000 grant to build a new boathouse at the soon-to-open Malden River Works Park.

The grant from the Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation will support the second phase of the Malden River Works project at 356 Commercial St. The new facility will be named The Bayrd Boathouse in honor of the foundation and will primarily serve the Malden High School crew team while also including public restrooms available to park visitors.

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The Malden River Works Park is the result of five years of planning and collaboration between the city, a steering committee that includes Malden resident leaders of color, and a project team of urban designers, watershed planners, and climate resilience planners. The first phase of the park is currently nearing completion ahead of a grand opening scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. Work during the first phase included excavation, soil remediation, underground drainage and stormwater treatment infrastructure, landscaping, a dock, and play features. "This funding is critical to the completion of the Malden River Works project, which will finally provide Malden residents with direct access to the Malden River," Mayor Gary Christenson said. "We are so grateful to the Bayrd Foundation for helping us realize our full park vision." The second phase of construction is expected to begin in early 2027, pending additional funding, and will include construction of the boathouse and a new salt shed in the Department of Public Works yard. The city is also exploring public boating programs that could allow residents to rent boats for use on the Malden River.

Planning for Malden River Works began in 2019 after the project received the inaugural Leventhal City Prize from MIT's Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, launching a multi-year planning and fundraising effort that incorporated input from Malden residents. The project has been entirely grant-funded to date, receiving support from 18 different federal, state, local, and private grant programs.

The park, located along the Malden River behind the city's DPW building, was also designed to address flooding in the DPW yard and improve climate resilience. Features include a bioretention garden, more than 250 new trees representing over 20 native species, more than 80 species of other native plants, and a stormwater retention system capable of collecting up to 14,055 cubic feet of water. Park elevations were also raised above projected 2070 sea level rise levels. Once open, the park will include a plaza, flexible lawn area, picnic tables, play areas, waterfront paths, and a floating dock.

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