Companies looking for expansion on the Orange Line north corridor will have a new option in Quaker Lane Capital’s plans for a 9-story office building at 11 Dartmouth St. in Malden Center. Image courtesy of Gensler

Anyone who has visited Malden in the last 24 months has seen the incredible transformation of our former Government Center site. With the demolition of that brick behemoth, Pleasant Street is now reconnected to the MBTA’s Malden Center Orange Line station and finds itself home to hundreds of new residents as well as multiple new restaurants, a boutique wine shop, a French-Asian bakery and a yoga studio. 

However, this parcel’s renaissance only serves as the gateway to the rest of Malden Center, which has always been home to dining options that introduce the inquisitive palate to “Dine in Malden and Taste the World.” 

Positioned for Lab Market Growth 

What is also transforming is Malden’s role in the rapidly developing Orange Line life sciences corridor. With Malden and Somerville leading the way as platinum-rated BioReady Communities by MassBio, companies are discovering many new opportunities for office, lab, R&D as well as manufacturing. With the recent redevelopment of 200 Exchange St. by Berkeley Investments, anyone looking for up to 80,000-square-foot floor plates can find a building ready to host biosafety level 1 and 2 research that also provides a Starbucks and two restaurants on the ground floor. 

In addition, the Malden City Council recently permitted Quaker Lane to build a 9-story office building downtown. That project is slated to begin construction later this year. 

Added to other recently developed buildings as well as ones working through the permitting process, Malden is looking to add nearly 1 million square feet of office, lab and flex space in a location that gives businesses access to the best workforce in the country. As the only major transportation hub north of Boston with Orange Line and commuter rail service, as well as serving as the bus hub for the North Shore, Malden Center Station can deliver a huge talent pool for those looking to expand and grow. 

Immersive Entertainment in Gaming District 

Companies looking to tap into this large, accessible workforce can also draw young professionals by touting their proximity to something unique in all of New England: Malden’s Gaming District. Located right in the heart of downtown, the Gaming District includes Boda Borg Boston, Mixer e-Sports, The Immersive, Biao Ge Pool Hall, The R.E.A.L.M.S. Institute as well as others that bring hundreds of thousands of annual visitors and provide great after-work amenities. 

And with the city acquiring the former Third Middlesex District courthouse, Malden is moving forward with creating a venue that can host musical acts, comedy shows, small theater productions and more. Being only a few steps from downtown, the future Malden Center for Arts & Culture will be a great night of live entertainment without having to get back on the train or in the car. Employees can walk over and enjoy the restaurants and coffee shops in that area before taking in a show. And with the Malden ArtLine project by Malden’s burgeoning arts community, there are myriad murals all over the city celebrating Malden’s place in history and its most notable residents, including song writer Norman Greenbaum, illustrator Ed Emberley, artist Frank Stella and author Erle Stanley Gardner. 

In short, not only does Malden have the crucial infrastructure in place to accommodate life science, lab, office and R&D companies ready to move, it also gives them a significant competitive advantage when hiring by providing access to a huge and talented workforce. Today, a city needs to be firing on all cylinders and with great, accessible options for working, dining and playing, Malden certainly is. 

Gary Christenson is mayor of the city of Malden.