Malden Center and untapped potential

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

I've long been a fan of Malden center's potential: good retail density, subway and commuter rail access. The problem at the moment seems to be 1) the quality of the retail and 2)the lack of housing in the downtown retail area.

If I were a developer, I'd be looking to tap this resource. It could be the next Davis Square with a little though, some more appealing retail and restaurants, etc. FuLoon might be the best chinese restaurant in Boston, but it needs something to attract the yuppies. How about a starbucks? ;-)

[statler]

^^ You forgot to mention the huge fucking gaping hole they just tore in the Main Street streetwall for fucking parking lot.

And it ain't changing. To quote my father-in-law, whose opinion seems to be in the majority in the city:
[as we pass by said hole]

"That a shame. The least they could have done was plant some shrubs or something. Oh well, a parking lot is still better than another new condo building."

You see, the people of Malden really, really want to forget they live in a city. They want to desperately want to believe they live in a sleepy suburb like Melrose. If they could tear down their entire downtown and build single family houses they would. And parks. Lots of parks.

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Originally Posted by statler

^^ You forgot to mention the huge fucking gaping hole they just tore in the Main Street streetwall for fucking parking lot.

And it ain't changing. To quote my father-in-law, whose opinion seems to be in the majority in the city:
[as we pass by said hole]


You see, the people of Malden really, really want to forget they live in a city. They want to desperately want to believe they live in a sleepy suburb like Melrose. If they could tear down their entire downtown and build single family houses they would. And parks. Lots of parks.

It's hard for me to believe that this will be the prevailing attitude as we move into a car-problematic future, and carless life becomes more appealing to many. oh well, we may have to wait for a generation to die out or something.

[statler]

For those really interested in Malden's future you can check out their Visioning project.

Some highlights:

The Malden Zoning Ordinance is the primary means of regulating how land is used in the city. While period updates to the Zoning Ordinance have occurred since 2005, the City Council has made substantial revisions to:

• Increase the minimum lot sizes for new single-family homes;
• Improve outdated parking requirements for multi-family properties and
  religious facilities;
• Create regulations for drive-thru businesses;
• Regulate ledge removal;
• Establish uniform requirements for residential and commercial
  development;

and since 2007, changes to:

• Allow artist live/ work units in the downtown;
• Increase open space and lot sizes for multifamily homes;
• Establish bicycle parking requirements;
• Create uniform sign regulations through a citywide sign design review
  ordinance;
• Protect existing residential, business, and industrial districts; and
• Expand the notice requirements for public hearings so that more citizens
  and property owners are notified about proposals in their neighborhoods.

While affordable housing was cited as a strong need, it was conversely chosen as a type of development not needed. Other development types considered not needed were apartment and condominium buildings.

I was going to try to participate in this but I was really busy at the time. Probably for the best, I most likely would have burst a blood vessel listening to people clamoring for larger lot sizes and more open space. Or been killed for suggesting the opposite.

**Edit: A quick warning - the link above doesn't work so well in Firefox (shakes head) and most every link there is a .pdf.

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Originally Posted by statler

For those really interested in Malden's future you can check out their Visioning project.

Some highlights:




I was going to try to participate in this but I was really busy at the time. Probably for the best, I most likely would have burst a blood vessel listening to people clamoring for larger lot sizes and more open space. Or been killed for suggesting the opposite.

Wow...that is awful. Who runs Malden, GM?

[GW2500]

Christmas Tree Shoppers have way too much input in our zoning laws and master plans.

[statler]

The problem is, the last time they put professionals in charge we got Government Center (both Boston and Malden versions).

Maybe it's time to put them back in charge but I sort of understand the resistance.

[Ron Newman]

Originally Posted by statler

You see, the people of Malden really, really want to forget they live in a city. They want to desperately want to believe they live in a sleepy suburb like Melrose. If they could tear down their entire downtown and build single family houses they would. And parks. Lots of parks.

But Melrose has a very pleasant and walkable town center. Malden could do much worse than to try to emulate Melrose (or Wakefield, or Winchester, or Lexington, or even Arlington).

[statler]

I love Melrose.
Malden is a completely different animal than Melrose.
Malden has two Orange Line stops, one commuter rail stop and a lot of Bus routes.

Malden is much denser, much more urban space than Melrose. I see that as positive.
Rather than try to be something it is not, it should focus on it strengths. It should embrace it's density and walkablity rather than try to destroy it in the name of open space and other suburban qualities.

[Ron Newman]

But the point remains that 'suburban' Melrose has a much more commercially viable town center than 'urban' Malden. And a more walkable one too. The suburban downtown may even be more dense than its urban neighbor.

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Originally Posted by Ron Newman

But the point remains that 'suburban' Melrose has a much more commercially viable town center than 'urban' Malden. The suburban downtown may even be more dense than its urban neighbor.

But Melrose is not a 10-15 minute subway ride into Downtown Crossing or 15-20 ride into the Back Bay. I'm sure that Melrose is nice, but it's not a potentially vibrant "outer borough" of the city in the Davis/Central Square mold the way that Malden Center is.

(edited to provide a more apt example than CC)

[statler]

You are right. Malden downtown would do well to emulate Melrose downtown.

Malden as a city would be unwise to emulate Melrose as a city.

Does that make sense?

(Edit: Now that I think about it BNASS is right. Malden would be a lot better to emulate Cambridge/Somerville than Melrose. Thanks BNASS)

[Ron Newman]

Sure, I'd agree with that.

[statler]

^^Unfortunately, most of the residents of Malden wouldn't.

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

My wife used to work in the big office building at the corner of Main Street and Exchange Street (right near to the corner of Pleasant Street). The office was full of "reverse commuters" who took the subway (or bus) to Malden Center from places like Allston, The Fenway, various parts of Cambridge, even downtown Boston. The connectivity to the rest of the city is great. However, not many people ever "lingered" after work aside from the occasional beer at Hugh O'Neills, and almost nobody lived there. Young urbanites with disposable income don't want to live in Station Landing in fake downtowns next to highways, but they would, definitely, live in Malden if it offered more of the urban experience that people want, had better housing options near the T, and if it generally would try to embrace its urban, pedestrian friendly character. Look at the wasteland of Exchange Street. One ambitious lunatic decided to open a classy restaurant there, while the rest of the street is practically a windswept abandoned ghost town thoroughfare. Build restaurants, cafes, bars along exchange street. Blow up Super Fitness and develop on its parking lot. Something, fer chrissakes.

[statler]

^^ There was talk of moving City Hall to the Super Fitness site. Unfortunatly, there was also talk of retrofitting the existing building.

[vanshnookenraggen]

Malden isn't alone. Quincy, Waltham, Lynn, and Woburn are all small cities that got sucked into Boston's sphere. They all have great potential to be cheap alternatives for YUPies but each city is it's own animal. Quincy is the new Chinatown, Waltham lucked out and became hip, Lynn can't catch a break, and I'm sure a lot of people don't even know where Woburn is (western Mass? lol)

You can't blame transportation on this; you have to look at the people who live in these places because they are the ones who vote for the leaders who come up with these plans.

I think we should spend our energies on the cities that want to be great, not the ones who don't want to be what they are.

[Beton Brut]

Revere likely falls into this category. When you think about it, Revere is like four different cities:

• A beach-front full of potential, with a mix of condos and cost-accessible single and multi-family homes as well as a rapid-transit connection straight into downtown Boston (< 6 miles);
• A gritty urban environment, that if polished a bit, could be Boston's answer to Chicago's Wicker Park;
• A wilderness of post-war tract-homes (in the section bordering Malden);
• A hellish auto-centric nightmare (Belle Circle, Wonderland, The Northgate).

The tools needed to fix this mess are not manufactured by Snap-On.

[statler]

Boston's very own Rust Belt.

[Suffolk 83]

I thought Woburn and Waltham were office park central.