Mayor announces projects that will receive CPA funding

The following was submitted by the City of Medford.

The City has allocated over $2.4 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding to community projects for Fiscal Year 2026, announced Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. CPA funding is dedicated to open space and recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects that are approved by the Medford City Council.   

City projects that were either recently completed or are in progress include:

• Tufts Park received funding approval for a lighting improvement project, which will be managed by Medford Recreation. This project will have improved lighting installed at Field 2 that can be operated and scheduled remotely, allowing for reduced staff time managing light programs and increased energy efficiency. 
• The Medford Garden Commission has been working to find new community garden locations due to a growing waitlist of resident gardeners and has been funded by CPA for a location at Barry Park. The garden will feature 24 garden beds and will reduce the current three-year waiting list.   
• The Medford Historical Commission led a pilot project for the restoration of 10 headstones/monuments and a condition assessment at Cross Street Cemetery. This pilot additionally resulting in unearthing a missing headstone for an American Civil War veteran, Major John James. CPA funded the remaining restoration during this funding cycle, and the project is currently in the procurement process.  
• The Medford Affordable Housing Trust Fund was approved for CPA funding to assist in their efforts to work with developers on local affordable housing opportunities. Learn more about the Affordable Housing Trust here.  
• The Medford Veterans’ Services Office is working alongside the Cemetery Trustees to restore the Angel of Victory and Peace WWII Memorial Fountain at Oak Grove Cemetery. This project will repair the underground water connections and clean the statue, which has been non-functional for approximately 40 years.  
• CPA will also fund the installation of a digital scoreboard at Monbouquette Field, the Medford High School home baseball field, for a project managed by Medford High School Athletics. The digital scoreboard will have a remote control, real estate for local sponsors for team fundraising opportunities, and a solar charging option. 

“CPA funding is so important for maintaining the character of our community and ensuring that our unique attributes can be preserved and improved upon,” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn. “We are dedicated to ensuring this funding is distributed to best serve the needs of Medford residents. Thank you to the City Council, the Community Preservation Committee, and our CPA Manager Theresa Dupont, for helping push these projects forward and secure the funding.” 

CPA funds are raised through a local 1.5% surcharge on annual property taxes (with exemptions), which was approved by Medford voters in November 2015, as well as matching funds from the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund. Of the available total funding for the 2026 Fiscal Year, $1,231,500 was distributed to open space and recreation projects, $625,000 to affordable housing projects, and $553,300 to historic preservation projects. 

CPA funding was also awarded to our community partners for the following projects: 

• TreesMedford, to conduct an invasive plant study and inventory of our City parks; 
• Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and Shiloh Baptist Church, to assist with their stained-glass window restoration efforts; 
• Housing Families’ Inc., to fund their continued support to Medford residents facing homelessness; 
• Brooks Estate Land Trust, to construct ADA-accessible parking and pathways at the Shepherd Brooks Manor.

For more information on the CPA and a full list of projects, visit https://preservemedford.org/CPAProjects.