The Melrose Messenger

Beebe Neighbors and City Clash Over Plans for New Police Station

February 19th, 2025

Last week, city officials and members of the Public Safety Facilities Advisory Committee met with residents of the Beebe neighborhood to discuss the latest plans for the police station, which is slated to be built on the site of the former Beebe School.

The construction of the new police station is part of the Public Safety Buildings Project, which Melrose voters chose to fund through a $130 million debt exclusion. This project has been under discussion for decades, with recognition among most residents that our current public safety facilities are inadequate for the needs of the Melrose Police Department (MPD) and the Melrose Fire Department. The debt exclusion passed with 60% of the vote in the November 2023 local election.

The Public Safety Buildings Project will involve the construction of a new police station on a new site as well as the renovation of all three fire stations. Phase 1 of the project will include constructing the new police station and renovating Engine 2, the fire station located on the corner of Tremont Street and Melrose Street.

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School Committee Votes to Retire Beebe School

December 13th, 2024

On November 26th, the School Committee voted to retire the Beebe School building and transfer it to the City of Melrose. This was the first of two required votes on this subject, and the second vote was held on December 10th, officially transferring the property.

The Beebe School closed as an elementary school in 2003, due to declining enrollment numbers in the Melrose Public Schools (MPS) and the high cost of operating six elementary schools concurrently. In the twenty years since, the Beebe has been used by the SEEM Collaborative (a school serving students with moderate to severe disabilities), and most recently as the temporary library while the Melrose Public Library building on West Emerson Street has been under construction.

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Town Hall Meeting About Public Safety Buildings Draws Excitement and Concerns

September 26th, 2024

On Monday night, the City of Melrose hosted a Town Hall-style meeting at Melrose High School to present plans and receive feedback from the community on the first phase of the public safety buildings project.

The meeting was led by Mayor Jen Grigoraitis; City Planner and Project Manager Denise Gaffey; Police Chief Kevin Faller; Acting Fire Chief John White; and Glen Gollrad and Cassie Plunkett from the architectural firm Dore and Whittier. Other members from the Public Safety Facilities Advisory Committee as well as Ward 3 City Councilor Robb Stewart and Superintendent Adam Deleidi were present in the audience.

In November 2023, Melrose voters chose overwhelmingly to support a debt exclusion to replace and renovate the city’s four public safety buildings - the police station and all three fire stations - none of which have been significantly improved in decades.

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