MAPS purchases office building in Everett, plans to open new office in early 2024
EVERETT - The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) recently purchased a building in Everett to house its future office in the city.
The three-story, multi-use building is in the heart of the Portuguese-speaking community at 792 Broadway. The edifice will soon undergo renovations before officially opening to the community at the beginning of 2024.
The new office space will host a variety of MAPS programs and services, including many of those formerly offered out of the now-closed Somerville office, such as Family Support, Immigrant Integration, HIV/ STI Prevention and Screening, and more.
“This is an exciting time for MAPS as we plan our expansion into Everett,” said MAPS CEO Paulo Pinto. “As an organization, we always strive to be where our communities are in order to provide the best assistance possible, and we are thrilled to be able to serve the large Portuguese-speaking community in Everett with a new location that we hope will become a welcoming space to those in our communities in need of a helping hand.”
With the recent purchase, MAPS now owns three of its six offices: Cambridge, purchased in 1976; Lowell, purchased in 2021; and Everett, purchased on August 30, 2023.
The new 4,000-square-foot building includes two apartments on the second and third floors, one of which is currently occupied. The organization plans to rent it to offset the cost of the investment.
“Given that commercial rental costs are at an all-time high, it made financial sense to us to purchase this beautiful building,” added Pinto. “As we continue to look to secure a smaller and affordable office location in Somerville, a new location in Everett has become a more urgent necessity, and this opportunity came at the perfect time for our organization.”
MAPS Board President António Massa Viana said he could not be prouder of MAPS’ growth.
“This purchase is a testament to our organization’s dedicated leadership and outstanding management over the past few decades,” he said. “Our large Portuguese-speaking community in Everett, which we have been serving for many years out of our nearby locations, will soon have MAPS closer than ever and be able to rely on its hardworking staff and its many free programs and services.”
MAPS has served the Portuguese-speaking communities of Massachusetts and others since 1970. The organization offers many free health and social services through its five offices in Cambridge, Brighton, Dorchester, Framingham, and Lowell.
To learn more about MAPS, visit maps-inc.org
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: MAPS buys office building in Everett, to open new office in early 2024
