Montvale Plaza new owner is refurbishing
Published on February 3rd, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - The chandelier, so visible and notorious from the street, is gleaming once again from inside Montvale Plaza. The Stoneham landmark, which for years hosted a legion of weddings, proms, and other formal functions until it fell into tough times and disrepair in recent years, will once again play the stately host to more of those memory makers.
The Montvale Plaza is making a comeback, and in stylish fashion. A February 14 ribbon cutting ceremony will cap months of planning and hard work as the renovated and rejuvenated facility will officially open.
The man who made it possible for the town of Stoneham to witness the reopening of one of its most popular landmarks is Martin Murphy of Medford.
Owner and operator of Marty's Catering, a business he has run for the past 25 years, Murphy is excited about the endeavor which he anticipates will draw interest from those who have been familiar with the facility from years past.
Although wedding receptions will be just one of many uses for the new building, Murphy does anticipate renewing interest from those who look back fondly on memories of their own wedding receptions held years ago at Montvale Plaza and who now may be searching for the right place to host anniversary celebrations or their children's weddings.
"It was a sad day when it closed... Hopefully the memories will come back," he said.
According to Murphy, the name and the chandelier are famous from the nearly thirty years that the old Montvale Plaza operated, since its opening in the mid 1960s.
"I think it's a landmark not just in Stoneham but for the north shore," stated General Manager Carmela Cain.
That chandelier, in particular, serves as a testament to the commitment and dedication Murphy and his many family members, friends, acquaintances and employees have displayed in bringing the Montvale Plaza back to life.
According to Cain, over 300 man hours were put into detaching, hand-washing and replacing each crystal on the magnificent fixture in the foyer as well as on the three other chandeliers in the facility.
"That's the elegance of the Montvale Plaza that was here and that we wanted to preserve," stated Director of Marketing Anne Curry.
With attention to preserving the elegant detail throughout the building, Murphy has updated the facility with fresh paint, carpeting, state of the art kitchen equipment and sound proof barriers between function rooms. In addition the facility is now handicapped accessible.
Attention has also been paid to improving the appearance of the outside of the building, and Murphy has contracted with a landscaping company to maintain the exterior year-round.
The new Montvale Plaza features a 450 person capacity Main Ballroom which can be made into two separate, smaller function rooms. In addition, there is the Cotillion Suite, with a capacity of 225, two kitchens, and other accommodations designed to meet the needs of various functions, from bridal and baby showers to business meetings.
"Marty has combined yesterday's elegance with today's touches," said Curry.
Why Murphy has succeeded in breathing life into the legendary facility, where others have sought permission to do but have failed, is due in part, he said, to the fact that he went to the town with a solid plan along with a wealth of experience.
"We're a well established catering company on the North Shore," said Murphy.
"They (the town officials) saw Marty had something to offer...He has a great business plan and management team. He went in with his i's dotted and t's crossed," said Curry. She added that with Murphy's expertise and years of experience in the catering business, "he is the perfect choice for this."
According to the town, Murphy's plan must address the issue of adequate parking. Accordingly, Murphy has worked long and hard on this issue and has secured space for off-street valet service to accommodate any function in the facility.
"I'd be silly to put all this money in it.. to not address the parking," said Murphy, assuring that there are no plans for any on-street parking.
"We're going to have enough parking for this facility".
Along with a plan, Murphy also had to come up with some money, enough to settle the back taxes and water liens which the property shouldered.
While Marty's Catering and the Montvale Plaza will remain two separate operations, they will function independently out of the same Montvale Avenue address.
According to Curry, "Marty has done a magnificent job at planning it out," said Curry, with regard to chefs and specialties of the two different operations.
You could say that Murphy started in the business on a small scale. As an enterprising ninth-grader from Medford, Murphy bought a cart and began selling popcorn at Tufts University and at sporting events. He graduated from that to a hot dog cart where he moved his operation to Government Center in Boston and sold franks to hungry commuters and tourists.
Those humble beginnings saw him rise to a successful and long-time business owner in Medford.
His start in Stoneham has been exhilarating, Murphy and his team stated, despite what greeted them the first moment they took a look at the place.
Cain recalled the sad state of disrepair that the interior had fallen into from its years of being closed. Mold, mildew, peeling paint and water stained draperies were just a part of what awaited their arrival.
A couple of days later, Murphy rallied family, friends, employees and acquaintances who all began the process of gutting the place - a process which yielded four full dumpsters by the end of the first day.
With many 20 hour work days, seven days a week, Murphy admits that these have been the longest six months of his life.
"I'm a real perfectionist...I'm not happy until every person who walks through is completely and utterly satisfied," he said.
"After the 14th, I'll be more than excited, I'll be ecstatic...I'll have more joy in my heart than ever before."
While he anticipates a successful business in Stoneham, Murphy also stated that he looks forward to being as active in the Stoneham community as he has been in Medford for many years.
"Marty likes to give back," stated Curry.
"We can do a lot for the town," he said. "We are heavily involved in Medford and we foresee being heavily involved in Stoneham too."
"This is an extension of Marty's house," Curry said of Murphy's commitment to restoring the Montvale Plaza to Stoneham. "And we are an extension of his family."
"There's no place around with this type of ambiance," she added. "This area needs an elegant function facility."
And now it has one.
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