Patch, Sept 16, 2022, by Dakota Antelman
MALDEN, MA — Demolition crews began tearing into a building on Eastern Avenue in Malden this week as the organization Bread of Life begins work to build a new, expanded headquarters facility.
Bread of Life is a regional nonprofit organization primarily focused on fighting food insecurity through over a dozen communities north of Boston.
Its current operations are split between an office facility on Commercial Street and a food pantry and warehouse on Madison Street.
Dubbed the “Under One Roof” project, new building plans call for a building with 70% more space for Bread of Life. The facility will allow Bread of Life to combine operations, while expanding overall offerings.
The building will also include 14 [sic 12] permanent studio apartments to house “very low-income homeless individuals,” as noted in a recent Bread of Life newsletter.
Bread of Life is drawing on a mix of state and municipal grant funding in addition to a loan from Eastern Bank and proceeds from a capital campaign, according to its project summary.
The project kicked off with work to remove hazardous materials before demolition this week. Demolition is now expected to wrap before the end of the month, allowing crews to begin foundation work.
Bread of Life projected that the project will take roughly 14 months to complete, putting it on track for an opening date next fall.
“A long time coming but worth the wait!” Malden Mayor Gary Christenson wrote in a Tweet about the demolition this week.
“It's happening!” Bread of Life wrote in a separate message on Facebook.
Bread of Life’s capital campaign to support the Under One Roof facility is ongoing. Learn more and see renderings of the planned finished building here.