A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by NBC Boston’s Investigative Reporter Ryan Kath about the longtime challenges of our public safety buildings, particularly the Melrose Fire Department Headquarters.

I am grateful for Kath’s story, which outlines the significant challenges these buildings have had for decades as noted by previous administrations and underscores exactly why we decided to re-launch the Melrose Public Safety Building Committee in August 2021 to determine how the City will develop a sensible plan to renovate or replace these critical buildings.

While outdated police and fire stations are certainly not a local phenomenon, and the Department of Public Works has responded to many of the issues outlined in the story—from installing new HVAC units to launching monthly rodent inspections—I want permanent solutions to these issues: our first responders deserve better.

Since being re-established in 2021, the Committee has studied how surrounding communities have upgraded their public safety building infrastructure and are learning from their planning and execution. This will be a major, multi-year project for our City to undertake. The actual cost will depend on which plan Melrose selects, the architectural, engineering, construction, and land costs, and the phasing of the project. 

In October 2022, the City Council approved the Melrose Public Safety Building committee’s request for $68,500 for an architectural firm to complete pre-design services for proposed upgrades to our fire and police stations. In November 2022, the City’s State Delegation secured an earmark of $150,000 to go towards more immediate repairs for the Melrose Fire Department Headquarters.

The Committee is preparing project designs with the architectural firm and gearing up to engage the community around the project. In the meantime, I encourage the community to increase their public awareness about the progress of the Committee’s plan to renovate or replace the City’s public safety buildings by engaging with the Committee’s website dedicated to informing the public about the Committee’s efforts-to-date.

The website, MelrosePSB.org, includes videos and historical information about buildings’ challenges, a project timeline, information about the project’s team, a page dedicated to frequently asked questions, and will soon include updates regarding future Committee meetings and more. (Please note that website is currently best viewed on a desktop computer and laptop. Those viewing the site on a phone may need to edit their phone’s browser settings to activate Request Desktop Website.)

I am excited by the Committee’s progress to date including the launch of this informative website that the public can use as a tool to learn more about the need for modern public safety buildings. Lastly, I am grateful for their commitment to engaging the Melrose community as we move forward with developing an actionable plan for these critical buildings that our first responders deserve, and the community can get behind.

Community members can provide comments and questions directly to the Melrose Public Safety Building Committee by emailing [email protected].

Sincerely,

Paul Brodeur
Mayor of Melrose