Timeline of Events

March 30, 2015 - Hallmark, Partners review merger plans

June 9, 2015 minutes #118-15: “Order: That the City Council authorize the Executive Director of the Malden Redevelopment Authority to conduct an appraisal with respect to the Malden Hospital site at a cost of $24,000 more or less". (This meeting’s agenda is unavailable.)

June 30, 2015 resolution #434-15 states: "Resolve: That for a period of 30 months the City of Malden dedicate $5,000,000. of its financial reserves for the acquisition of the former Malden Hospital Site." (Minutes for the June 30th meeting are not available online)

July 4, 2015 - Candidate announces with focus on Hospital Site

July 31, 2015 - FriendsOfFellsmerePark.org established

August 1, 2015 - Fellsmere Park Cleanup

August 3, 2015 - "This should be preserved"

August 18, 2015 - Fellsmere Park Management Plan, Community Draft

August 27, 2015 - "Three-way race in Ward 3 focuses on Malden Hospital site",

September 15, 2015 - #490-15 - City Council considers Ballot question related to acquisition of hospital site land (link to agenda)

September 22, 2015 - Letter dated 9/22/15, from Hallmark Health to City Council (withheld from public review until January 2016)

October 14, 2015 - Sylvester Baxter Delta plaque re-discovered at Fellsmere Park in Malden

October 31, 2015 - Inquiry about September 22, 2015 Letter sent from Hallmark Health to City Council RE Purchase and Sale of Hospital Site. A subsequent public records request seeking release of this letter was initially denied but honored upon appeal to the State.

November 3, 2015 - Election Results and Ballot Question Results

November 8, 2015 - Fellsmere Park Clean-up

November 23, 2015 - Update - Initial Public Records Request for documents to the Hospital Site denied by the Malden City Solicitor

December 24, 2015 - Historical Flashback - "On the Road to Malden Hospital"

January 12, 2016 - #25-16 - A discussion of the hospital site occupied about 15 minutes of the city council agenda. A resolution was proposed related to the hospital site: “That it is not feasible for the City to acquire the Malden Hospital site or a portion thereof at this time." (Meeting agenda)

Video of the approximately 15 minute discussion can be found at https://youtu.be/r3YkeLL7aro

Excerpts of comments by councillors at the 1/12/16 Council Meeting:

  1. "[I'm going to work on] getting some updated and accurate numbers...and report back" (Councillor Spadafora)
  2. "I am hoping for maybe a 90-day table on this... we have interested developers all seeking to do good at Malden Hospital... if we work together something great will prevail" (Councillor DeMaria)
  3. "I would ask that you consider sending it into Finance (committee) so that we might do a feasbility study and we'll set up a "Feasbility Committee" to do that feasibility study out of Finance... it's clearly a financial issue which would need to be tackled ... " (Councillor Kinnon)
  4. "we just had a citywide ballot question on this very issue ...I understand that there is a lot of things we need to study including demolition costs ... I would support taking a harder look in the Finance committee .... really drilling down on these numbers and what it means to the people of Malden and giving it its fair due" (Councillor Matheson)
  5. "I'm in support of stepping back, taking a look at this, referring it to Finance, and looking at it the same time we look at the CPA makes all the sense in the world" (Councillor Anderson)
  6. "this has been on the table for 15 years now... it's a very challenging issue ... we don't even own the property...we have control over what can be zoned there ... I definitely support it going into Finance and trying to find a way to get this moving. I think we need to loop the Administration in at some point and see if they can give us some bandwidth to help with it as well" (Councillor D'Arcangelo)
  7. "it's clear that we have some major projects ahead of us - namely Police Station and City Hall... I'd be interested to know exactly where we are in our bonding capacity to even consider purchasing such a huge parcel of land. However, ... we can still listen, we can still investigate ... and try to move forward for resolution of that particular property ... " (Councillor Condon)
  8. "I want to shed a little light on the rationale .... the last meeting of the year a number came in ... while it might be a quick review, the number was staggering from a demolition cost ... we know things sometimes the average resident doesn't ...that property is in desperate need of public safety equipment...they are out of code .... it's almost in my opinion collusion ... I want to make that property safe... in the meantime we can send this to Finance and look at the numbers hard and see what our options are as a community." (Councillor Spadafora)
  9. "... may I ask the Chair of Finance if we could possibly put a time limit on the review ... ?" (Councillor DeMaria)
  10. "It is a very complex issue - financially, structurally.... I could not sit here and give you an exact time - maybe in a few weeks I could do that. I can guarantee you this, the numbers that you'll get out of Finance Committee will be accurate and give you a straight amount as to what could happen, how things could be structured, or if it's simply impossible for us to financially handle." (Councillor Kinnon)
  11. "I would like to move to amend the resolution by adding that we investiage the deed and title of the property .... any title restrictions on it... for the benefit of the city of Malden" (Councillor O'Malley)

January 27, 2016 - After appeal to the State of Massachusetts, the State of Massachusetts contacted the Solicitor's office. After contact by state officials to the City of Malden, the Malden City Solicitor released the September 22, 2015 letter which had originally been sought

March 31, 2016 - What's happening with the hospital site? (and related ballot questions)

June 5, 2016 - Lantern Walk and Call for Public Hearing on Hospital Site

June 9, 2016 - Malden Observer - "LETTER: Time for public hearing about hospital site"

September 22, 2016 Update on Hospital Site (one year later?) by Fellsmere Housing Group

September 22, 2016 Fellsmere Housing Group updated proposal posted http://courbanize.com/projects/fellsmere-housing/information

November 15, 2016 - Meeting of Medford Ad-Hoc Sub Committee focused on the Malden Hospital

November 18, 2016 - Citizen initiated Tour of Hospital Site - Fellsmere Housing Group provided tour and expressed willingness to speak with anyone else who might have questions.

December 2016 - Hospital update collating a number of files related to hospital site, including

December 22, 2016 - Advocate Newspaper covers the topic in a thoughtful piece entitled "Residents question the impact of development on city schools"

December 29, 2016 - Citizen Inquiry on Status of Hospital Site Issue submitted via email

January 6, 2017 - The Advocate Newspaper summarized actions taken related to the hopsital site in 2016 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/203302579826937/permalink/800237846800071/

On March 23, 2017, a Superior Court decision was reached in the testy trial of Hallmark Health System Inc vs City Of Malden et al, 1381CV04563 The proceedings involved a judge, a dozen jurors, a couple of expert witnesses, several past or present city employees, a councillor, executives from Hallmark Health, loads of lawyers and big budgets for case preparation. After a short deliberation of about two hours, the jury ruled in favor of Hallmark.You can find links to related reporting here.