Malden River Works Park Officially Opens To The Public

MALDEN, MA — The city's first riverfront park officially opened to the public over the weekend following more than five years of planning, fundraising, and construction.

More than 300 people attended the grand opening of Malden River Works Park on Sunday, Oct. 4, celebrating the completion of the first phase of the project behind the city’s Department of Public Works yard at 356 Commercial St. The event included city and state officials, project organizers, environmental advocates and residents.

The celebration opened with a blessing of the land and water by Thomas “Spirit Tree” Green of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag. Attendees also took part in pontoon boat rides from the park’s new dock, live music, face painting, and a children’s story time with Malden Reads.

“It is with great joy that I declare this brand-new park open to Malden residents and the broader community,” Mayor Gary Christenson said. “I am very proud that this project accomplished so many goals for Malden, from modernizing our DPW yard, to creating access to the river, to supporting our crew team, to solving flooding in the area. Malden River Works is truly a gem that the community will enjoy for years to come.”

The park gives residents direct public access to a section of the Malden River that has historically been surrounded by industrial and commercial properties. The project was developed through a partnership between the city, a steering committee that includes Malden resident leaders of color, Friends of the Malden River, the Mystic River Watershed Association, and a team of urban designers, watershed planners and climate resilience planners.

Work completed during the first phase included soil remediation, underground drainage and stormwater treatment infrastructure, landscaping, play structures and a dock. The park includes more than 250 new trees, along with native plants, rain gardens and other features intended to improve the river habitat and address flooding and climate resilience.

State Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, who attended Sunday’s opening, said members of Malden’s legislative delegation helped secure state investments for the project.

“This new community space serves as a gathering place for residents and families while emphasizing the importance of climate resiliency,” Lipper-Garabedian said. “This park has 250 new trees and gives residents their first direct access to the Malden River.”

Planning for Malden River Works began in 2019 after the project received the inaugural Leventhal City Prize from MIT’s Center for Advanced Urbanism. Since then, thousands of residents have participated in the planning process and community events connected to the project, according to the Mystic River Watershed Association.

The project has been entirely grant-funded to date, receiving support through 18 federal, state, local, and private grant programs. Funding has come from agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

“The Malden River needs this,” Friends of the Malden River Volunteer President Karen Buck said. “I remember when this all started on the back of an envelope. It was marked as an impossible project, and it has taken so many different facets of our community—organizations, community members, government officials, and of course funding—to make this happen.”

Work on Malden River Works is expected to continue with a second phase that will include construction of the Bayrd Boathouse in the park and a new salt shed in the DPW yard.

The city recently received a $500,000 grant from the Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation to support construction of the boathouse, which is expected to primarily serve the Malden High School crew team while also providing public restrooms for park visitors. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, pending additional funding.

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