Malden Redevelopment Authority Wins National Award

Article, photo, and caption provided by the Malden Redevelopment Authority:

The National Community Development Association (NCDA) presented the Malden Redevelopment Authority with the 2012 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award at the NCDA Winter Legislative & Policy Meeting in Washington, DC last week.

The award represents the culmination of a national competition to identify and recognize exemplary uses of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds which best address the needs of low-income families and neighborhoods.

The John and Christina Markey Malden Senior Community Center, 7 Washington St., was recognized for its greatly expanded facilities and addressing the needs of the city’s senior population.  Stephen Wishoski, MRA Executive Director, said, “It’s been exciting to be a part of a project that had such a dramatic impact on the downtown, the families and the senior population involved. We are extremely grateful to receive this award.”

Multiple funding sources were used for the project, including federal CDBG funds, a donation from Cambridge Health Alliance, City funding, and a major donation from a Malden-based private charitable organization.

The John and Christina Markey Malden Senior Center opened its doors in January 2009.  A former vacant church building, the 17,000 square foot facility was completely renovated to include new kitchen, library and auditorium spaces as well as a computer lab and exercise room. The new Senior Center is 10 times the size of the original senior center which for some 35 years had been housed in the basement of the Malden Government Center Complex. Three times as many residents visit the new center. According to its director, there are 5,400 senior visits to the facility each month. The Center is named after two longstanding Malden residents who raised three sons, Congressman Edward Markey, John Markey and Richard Markey.

The City’s decision to purchase and renovate this center for a new use was part of it’s over-arching plans to revitalize Malden Square. In addition to the Senior Center, new restaurants have opened, new apartment complexes have been built and new office spaces added.

In 1987, NCDA established the Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Awards to recognize exemplary uses of CDBG funds which address the needs of families, homes and neighborhoods. Audrey Nelson was the first Deputy Executive Secretary of NCDA. She grew up in an inner city Chicago neighborhood. Her intense commitment to her neighborhood and her drive to serve low income people was cut short by death from cancer at the age of 29.