Date: June 7-12, 2015

Location: Malden/Everett, Massachusetts

Sponsor: MassDevelopment, City of Malden, City of Everett

Subject Area:  Economic Development

Panel Chair:
Kamuron Gurol, City Manager
City of Burien, Washington

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Background and Panel Assignment

The Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), Mass Development’s new program for the Gateway Cities of the Commonwealth, is an integrated place-based program for urban redevelopment designed to implement locally-driven strategic, catalytic, and sustainable revitalization. TDI provides enhanced technical assistance, strategic equity investments in real estate, to promote new business growth.

Given the growth and emergence of strong mixed-use urban industrial districts nationwide, the panel is tasked to focus on the unique issues of land development in metro Boston’s urban core, in light of the additional land development activity and market need for increased housing, commercial space and the integration of these uses.

Summary of Recommendations

The panel’s recommendations included the following:

• Promote local assets and strengths: Highlight specific market advantages such as its cultural diversity that is manifested through food and diverse business opportunities.
• Address potential weaknesses: Target and improve the perception of the district through adequate branding and communication of the area’s identity.
• Know the user: Analyze and target business and resident profiles.
• Use the Malden River as the organizing principle: Recognize the potential of the river to be an organizer of development and identity.
• Engage the public sector: Ensure that the public resources are used to ensure meaningful coordination, facility management, and so forth.
• Set a common course and implement the vision.