Melrose: Demolition, Construction To Begin At Essex Street Site

MELROSE, MA — The Melrose Office of Planning and Development (OPCD) has announced that the demolition of the existing building at 12-16 Essex Street, across from City Hall, will begin on Monday.

Soon after demolition, construction is scheduled to begin at the site on a four-story building with retail space on the ground floor and 24 residential units on the three upper stories. Six of the units will be deed-restricted affordable units.

The new building is expected to be completed in early 2025.

During the demolition, which will be performed by local builder Wakefield Associates Inc., pedestrians will be directed to a protected path in the right-of-way, according to City officials.

The demolition is expected to take a week, at which point the sidewalk will be re-opened, while preparations and sitework take place for the next phase of construction.

During construction of the new building, a protected pedestrian path will be in place in order to provide a continuous path for pedestrians, officials said.

Additionally, the street in front of the construction site will be intermittently closed to vehicles when necessary to ensure public safety.

The Essex Street site was the location of the first minority-owned business in Melrose, according to officials. The current building has been vacant for several years.

A building project at the site was initially approved in 2019. However, permitting initially was delayed after members of the historic preservation community objected to the demolition of the building, officials said.

"There is a long permitting history for this site, and it is exciting that the redevelopment is finally kicking off," said Denise Gaffey, city planner for the City of Melrose.

Gaffey continued: "When complete, the new building will restore the retail continuity from Main Street down to the existing businesses on Essex Street, while providing much-needed housing opportunities and added vitality to downtown Melrose."

The new building also will include a permanent interpretive panel memorializing the building's history. The panel also will provide context and commemoration of Asian American history in the area, according to officials.