LYNN — As Mayor Jared Nicholson prepares to enter his second term, he highlighted key milestones that he and his administration accomplished in 2025.
Nicholson noted top priorities in Lynn regarding education, jobs, health and safety, infrastructure, and housing.
“The administration has looked to establish inclusive growth. We have the opportunity for growth, and we want to make the most of it,” Nicholson said.
With education, Nicholson commended the expansion of the Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy to 195 Market St. from its NSCC campus, allowing FDCA to double enrollment capacity.
“We’re thrilled. The program is amazing in the sense that we’re allowing our students to be taking college level courses. The space they are now in is going to be terrific for them,” Nicholson said.
He added, “There’s no playbook when it comes to turning an office building into a school. It was a really innovative step for the City to take and one that’s going to be a great benefit to our community and students for hopefully generations to come.”
Nicholson also noted the significance of Pre-K education expansion. In 2025, the number of full-day pre-kindergarten seats quadrupled, resulting in no waiting list for those seats for the first time in many years. He thanked LPS community partners such as Gregg House, LEO Inc., and the Demakes YMCA for the progress in increased high-quality Pre-K access.
“Full-day Pre-K seats are generally what families are most interested in. The research of the value of Pre-K is undeniable, so we’re very excited about that,” he said.
A major addition to LPS in 2025 was the opening of STEAM Academy, a secondary school that centered around project-based learning that opened at the City Arts and Science Academy at Fecteau-Leary. With an enrollment capacity of approximately 600, STEAM academy is helping to relieve overcrowding at Lynn English and Lynn Classical.
Nicholson emphasized his administration’s focus on waterfront development, particularly with the newly formed redevelopment authority created to support implementation of South Harbor Implementation Plan.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the city that is coming to fruition,” Nicholson said.
The city saw a major transformation with the waterfront area when Harbor Park opened in September.
“It was a long time coming and a huge addition to the city’s park system,” Nicholson said.
Other major infrastructure accomplishments include rewriting City Charter with City Council to improve and modernize government operations, installing a permanent LED string light display downtown to illuminate city streets, and completing major upgrades at Keaney, Gallagher, and McManus parks.
Nicholson described housing as something that is “always one of our resident’s top concerns.”
“Its a huge priority for us. It’s a challenging issue. We are doing everything we can, and yet our residents are still struggling,” he said.
His administration has made strides in combating housing issues by adopting a housing stability ordinance intended to ensure that tenants are made aware of their rights and the resources.
The City also completed its comprehensive zoning rewrite project this summer that aims to pave the way for more housing and jobs by making it easier to establish high-quality developments.
“It’s another great step forward that helps us encourage the kind of growth that we want to see that is supporting the community and also helps us produce much needed housing,” Nicholson said of the project.
This year, the City established Lynn Calm, an unarmed independent alternative to police as another option for homelessness, mental health, panhandling, and substance use. Nicholson praised the efforts of the team as they are “starting to develop deep relationships with the community.”
In 2025, the City has experienced a meaningful reduction in number of opioid overdose deaths compared to last year. Nicholson attributed this progress to the utilization of harm reduction resources such as the availability of Narcan around Lynn, frontline training, and the City’s efforts around recovery and prevention.
“Any death is tragic and something we want to prevent. To see that level of reduction is encouraging. There’s a lot of people who are working really hard to make that happen,” he said.
When it comes to his consistent presence at local events and gatherings, Nicholson plans on continuing his visibility within Lynn by connecting with residents for their input to support the goals of the community.
“Visibility and availability is certainly a priority for me. It’s a part of how I view the role and why I’m excited to do it. A lot of the availability that I think residents take notice us isn’t just me as mayor. It’s me as a resident of Lynn. Most of the park cleanups that we do on Saturdays, I’m there with my boys. I’m there as an individual and as a dad, and that creates opportunities for connections with people and supports the goals we have as a community,” he said.
He added, “Seeing the impact of the work and the importance that my office can lend to people, it means something to people. It’s really energizing, and I think it’s motivating for us to go back and do more. We want to know that it’s coming from residents and supported by residents; it helps us continue the momentum.”
As for his team’s momentum in 2026, Nicholson said he is “looking forward to more of these projects that we’ve been working on for many years delivering results to make sure our residents benefit.”
