Rebirth at the river's edge
Long-delayed construction starts on Phase 1 of a three-city development to bring offices, apartments, and parks to the once-tainted corridor
MEDFORD - Once known as TeleCom City, the massive redevelopment project called River's Edge has faced its share of challenges - obstacles to land acquisition, lawsuits, and the dot-com crash, which dashed plans to turn the contaminated Malden River corridor into a hub for high-tech innovation.
Globe Graphic Rebirth on the river
RIVER'S EDGE More than a decade after Everett, Malden, and Medford joined to reclaim 200 acres of industrial wasteland, construction has begun on the first office building and work on apartments will begin soon.
Phase 1
30-acre site
220 units of housing will be created
410,000 square feet of planned office space
10 acres of open space
5,100 linear feet of walking paths, more than half of which wind along the Malden River
more stories like thisBut now, more than a decade after Everett, Malden, and Medford became partners in an attempt to reclaim 200 acres of industrial no man's land, construction crews are at work on the site. They are preparing the foundation for the first office building, and they are poised to do the same for a luxury apartment complex, said city officials and the private developer behind the project.
Those involved hail the start of construction work as a signal achievement for River's Edge, which has attracted funding and fanfare - $30 million and counting in state and federal money, and praise from environmental groups - but also has been beset by delays.
"The question I've had over the last 10 years - and a lot of criticism - is, 'You keep talking about this, but it's not happening,' " said Medford Mayor Michael J. McGlynn, chairman of the Mystic Valley Development Commission, the body created by the Legislature in 1996 to oversee the three-city site. "Well, it's happening, and it's happening now."
This first phase, on about 30 acres in Medford, is to include three office buildings totaling 410,000 square feet and a 220-unit apartment building, with 15 percent of the units set aside as affordable housing.
Although the housing market is in a slump, developers and officials say there is strong demand in the area for office space and rental housing that is rich in amenities and is near the MBTA. The area is less than 5 miles from downtown Boston and a short walk from the T's Wellington Station.
The first phase will encompass 10 acres of open space and parks, including a sports field and 5,100 feet of paths, half of which will wind along the river. In addition to offices and housing, a $3 million boathouse has been completed by Tufts University for its crew program, and the school holds a long-term lease at River's Edge.
The state rebuilt the road serving the sections in Malden and Medford, at a cost of $17 million, and has earmarked an additional $60 million for improvements associated with the later phases, including a new bridge over the river, said Stephen M. Wishoski, executive director of the Malden Redevelopment Authority, the project manager for the three-city commission.
The project's master developer is Preotle, Lane & Associates, a New York firm that is developing the grounds and offices itself and has an agreement with Criterion Development Partners of Waltham for the Phase 1 housing. Preotle pulled permits for the first office building in December and began digging the foundation this month, said John J. Preotle Jr., a principal in the firm. Housing construction is likely to start next month or in March, he said.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/24/rebirth_at_the_rivers_edge/?page=2
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/24/rivers_edge/
Long-delayed construction starts on Phase 1 of a three-city development to bring offices, apartments, and parks to the once-tainted corridor
MEDFORD - Once known as TeleCom City, the massive redevelopment project called River's Edge has faced its share of challenges - obstacles to land acquisition, lawsuits, and the dot-com crash, which dashed plans to turn the contaminated Malden River corridor into a hub for high-tech innovation.
Globe Graphic Rebirth on the river
RIVER'S EDGE More than a decade after Everett, Malden, and Medford joined to reclaim 200 acres of industrial wasteland, construction has begun on the first office building and work on apartments will begin soon.
Phase 1
30-acre site
220 units of housing will be created
410,000 square feet of planned office space
10 acres of open space
5,100 linear feet of walking paths, more than half of which wind along the Malden River
more stories like thisBut now, more than a decade after Everett, Malden, and Medford became partners in an attempt to reclaim 200 acres of industrial no man's land, construction crews are at work on the site. They are preparing the foundation for the first office building, and they are poised to do the same for a luxury apartment complex, said city officials and the private developer behind the project.
Those involved hail the start of construction work as a signal achievement for River's Edge, which has attracted funding and fanfare - $30 million and counting in state and federal money, and praise from environmental groups - but also has been beset by delays.
"The question I've had over the last 10 years - and a lot of criticism - is, 'You keep talking about this, but it's not happening,' " said Medford Mayor Michael J. McGlynn, chairman of the Mystic Valley Development Commission, the body created by the Legislature in 1996 to oversee the three-city site. "Well, it's happening, and it's happening now."
This first phase, on about 30 acres in Medford, is to include three office buildings totaling 410,000 square feet and a 220-unit apartment building, with 15 percent of the units set aside as affordable housing.
Although the housing market is in a slump, developers and officials say there is strong demand in the area for office space and rental housing that is rich in amenities and is near the MBTA. The area is less than 5 miles from downtown Boston and a short walk from the T's Wellington Station.
The first phase will encompass 10 acres of open space and parks, including a sports field and 5,100 feet of paths, half of which will wind along the river. In addition to offices and housing, a $3 million boathouse has been completed by Tufts University for its crew program, and the school holds a long-term lease at River's Edge.
The state rebuilt the road serving the sections in Malden and Medford, at a cost of $17 million, and has earmarked an additional $60 million for improvements associated with the later phases, including a new bridge over the river, said Stephen M. Wishoski, executive director of the Malden Redevelopment Authority, the project manager for the three-city commission.
The project's master developer is Preotle, Lane & Associates, a New York firm that is developing the grounds and offices itself and has an agreement with Criterion Development Partners of Waltham for the Phase 1 housing. Preotle pulled permits for the first office building in December and began digging the foundation this month, said John J. Preotle Jr., a principal in the firm. Housing construction is likely to start next month or in March, he said.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/24/rebirth_at_the_rivers_edge/?page=2
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/24/rivers_edge/
