Historical Panel Declines to Block Two Demolitions
Medford Historical Commission clears the way for demolition of two significant buildings in back-to-back 0-4 votes.
Historical Commission · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Medford Historical Commission clears the way for demolition of two significant buildings in back-to-back 0-4 votes. Commissioners Doug, Ryan, Sarah and Luke unanimously rejected "preferably preserved" status for the city-owned Hegner Center at 15 Maple Park Avenue and for a Victorian-era house at 71 Mystic Avenue, denying each property an 18-month demolition delay. Abutter Cindy Watson told the panel the Hegner Center "looks like something out of the Addams Family," while citing an unspent $850,000 allocation she attributed to U.S.
Rep. Katherine Clark's office. Historic preservation consultant Brian Lieber, hired by applicant Banner Real Estate Group, said the Mystic Avenue house's interior "might as well have been built in 1990" after decades of renovations stripped its original fabric; Banner plans self-storage and ground-floor retail there.
The commission separately voted 4-0 to accept a new demolition application for 141 Grant Street and continued a third hearing, for 73 Surrey Street, to October 19 after the owner missed a legal-ad deadline.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,332 words
Source: the Historical Commission meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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