Jim's Summer Job, 1998
TeleCom City--Malden/Medford/Everett, Massachusetts
I recently finished a summer job working at the Malden Redevelopment Authority on a project called TeleCom City. The goal of the project, located about 5 miles north of Boston, is to turn an industrial wasteland into a telecommunications center with parkland, river access, and a variety of jobs. The drawing below and the subsequent text will tell you a little more about it.
The Cities of Malden, Medford, and Everett have joined forces to build what they call TeleCom City. � The goal is to convert 200 acres of underutilized industrial land straddling the Malden River into a modern, tax producing and job creating telecommunications research and development park benefiting the three cities, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the region.� The plans envision an off-site collaboration between telecommunications industry leaders and universities along with direct links to the public school systems in each of the three communities.
This regional economic development project enjoys the strong support of local, state and federal government officials and has attracted the keen interest of industry and university leaders.� The state has allocated $33 million thus far to the project for various infrastructure improvements (road, public transportation betterment).� Federal support comes from U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry and U.S. Representative Edward Markey, whose district includes Malden, Medford and Everett.
Recently, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, an agency with some 9,000 members across the country, announced that it had chosen the TeleCom City project for one of four national awards of excellence in the category of community revitalization.� The awards ceremony is scheduled for the end of October in San Diego, California.� Accepting the award will be the members of the Mystic Valley Development Commission which was created by the act of the state legislature to oversee the development of this unique technology driven office park. � The seven member commission includes the Mayors of each of the three cities.
TeleCom City, a national model for collaboration, could mean between 5,000 and 10,000 new high paying jobs for the region, new tax dollars and a direct link to the school systems.
For more information about TeleCom City, persons should call the Mystic Valley Development Commission office at (781) 388-2404.
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Malden, Mass.
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