MAYOR GARY CHRISTENSON doesn’t understand why every storefront in downtown Malden is not occupied. The city is a transportation hub, with access to the MBTA’s Orange Line, commuter rail, and several bus lines – something cities outside of Greater Boston could only dream of.

Malden, like other former industrial cities in Massachusetts, has struggled to draw investment to its blighted downtown areas. But thanks to a new partnership with MassDevelopment – a state agency dedicated to improving economic growth – Christenson is hopeful that will change.

“It’s mind boggling that there are any vacant storefronts,” he said. “We’re hoping that this program will figure out why that is and how to help us address it.”

Six Gateway Cities are set to receive state aid to help revive their downtown neighborhoods and commercial districts that historically suffered from the long-term decline of manufacturing.

Malden, Holyoke, Fitchburg, Chelsea, Peabody, and Lowell were selected for the latest round of support through MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) last week. Each city will receive a full-time economic development fellow who will provide on-the-ground expertise, leadership, and planning to help support small businesses, real estate development, and arts and culture projects. Cities will be eligible for grants and technical assistance for a three-year period – something local leaders say comes at a critical time as municipalities continue to face widespread budget woes – starting on July 1.

“What we have in common with those cities is that we were sort of the leaders in the industrial revolution,” said Curt Bellavance, Peabody’s community development director. “We feel we’re a pretty attractive place, and part of that is to make sure everybody else does too – businesses and residents.”

Spurring economic growth in their once-bustling downtowns has long been the goal of Gateway City leaders. Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lowell, and Chelsea have taken part in TDI before, while Malden and Peabody are new additions.

Since 2015, the program – available only to Gateway Cities – has invested about $50 million in the participating cities, which has generated more than $168 million in public investment and $314 million in private investment in the districts, according to MassDevelopment.

Participating cities are selected through a competitive application process in which they must submit a proposed district for revitalization. Cities must also demonstrate that they have strong partnerships with local nonprofits, businesses, and developers.

“When it was announced, there was a lot of hand clapping here at City Hall,” Christenson said. “That should tell you how competitive it was, and how timely it was.”

Six Gateway Cities – Everett, Leominster, Methuen, Salem, Quincy, and Westfield – have yet to participate in TDI, either because they have not applied or have limited capacity for the program. The most recent cohort of TDI districts finished their three-year grant in the fall and can now participate in the newly launched Gateway Network, which connects leaders, small businesses, developers, and other partners from former TDI districts.

Malden’s district will be located downtown with the hope that TDI can help expand its unique gaming district. Lowell’s new TDI district will be centered around Cambodia Town, a neighborhood that is the “cultural and commercial heart” of the city’s Cambodian community, according to the city. Peabody’s district will be located just off of Main Street where former industrial buildings need to be restored.

“All these streets that intersect into our downtown had leather factories for 100 years,” Bellavance said. “There’s a lot of old, brick tanneries, and we’d love to see some new blood go into those buildings to help regenerate activity in that area.”

Chelsea’s TDI district will be called “El Centro” and will be located on either side of Downtown Broadway and Everett Avenue in the hopes of fostering growth around the commuter rail station. Holyoke’s is located on Main Street and will help develop the city’s Puerto Rican cultural district. Fitchburg’s district will encompass the Water Street corridor, which is a gateway to the city’s downtown.

“The big problem with Fitchburg’s downtown is we have a lot of vacant buildings that have been vacant for over two years, which puts them out of code compliance, which means they need to be brought up to current code in order to be reoccupied,” Mayor Sam Squailia said. “They’ve given us a lot of tools in the toolbox to find success … we just have to keep the foot on the gas.”