The Athanas family has informed the town of Swampscott it will not continue operating the Hawthorne-by-the-Sea restaurant beyond its current agreement, prompting the Select Board on Wednesday to discuss how to move forward with the property.

Town Administrator Nick Connors announced at Wednesday night’s Select Board meeting that he learned of the Athanas family’s decision on October 23. That same weekend, he discovered some of the family’s personal items inside the building were being auctioned. The Hawthorne-by-the-Sea property has been at the center of a townwide debate over future downtown development.

“I asked staff and others – KP Law and others – to help prepare for a number of different options that would provide you all with as much flexibility and as much information as possible to make informed decisions,” Connors said. 

Connors said that on October 30, restaurateur Anthony Athanas, his attorney, town staff, and Select Board Member Mary Ellen Fletcher held a phone meeting, during which the town asked the family to consider staying open beyond their current agreement.

After consideration, Athanas and his attorney informed Connors that continuing operations was not possible.

“We were gracious that they took the time over the weekend to sit down as a family and discuss, so we appreciate that information,” Connors said.

Stanley J. Paine Auctioneers is hosting an online-only sale of the restaurant’s contents at paineauctioneers.com. About 450 items are listed, including a dough mixer, 2,500 pieces of gold-plated flatware, bowback armchairs, patio tables, artwork, heat lamps, and a meat slicer. All items are sold as-is.

The auction closes Tuesday, November 18, at 10 a.m., and all items must be removed by 4 p.m. the following day, according to the site.

According to the auctioneer’s post, water, gas, and hardwired electricity will be shut off following the auction preview.

“In light of the re-use committee for the property is still ongoing, we asked that the equipment may be able to be left in place, and sort of a delay in auction, not knowing what the final outcome or what the property will be,” Connors said in Wednesday’s Select Board meeting, explaining that this would allow for the building to not be vacant for a long period of time and have the potential for a Town Meeting approval for the Select Board to find a new tenant on a short term basis or beyond. “They are generally open to hearing what we intend that request to mean.”

In June 2022, a Special Town Meeting approved an article to purchase several properties, including the Hawthorne property and the Archer Street project. The article authorized the Select Board to acquire 149–169 Humphrey Street by gift, purchase or eminent domain for municipal use. It passed overwhelmingly, 214–3.

A community brainstorming session in January 2023 identified public space as the top priority. Residents favored “park/open space/green space” most strongly, followed by multi-use areas. Open space concepts received the broadest support overall.

The Select Board formed the Hawthorne Re-use Advisory Committee in February of 2025. Some people enjoy the idea of a park, as heard in recent meetings. Others like bigger buildings for revenue. The group also recently met with Don Giard, a regional planner with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, who presented concepts for urban village-style streetscapes.

Historically, from about 1900 until the Hawthorne-by-the-Sea’s construction in 1967, Humphrey Street featured a row of buildings.

The committee hosted two community meetings where residents emphasized creating “a place to go,” prioritizing pedestrians over cars, and addressing the short lifespan of businesses on Humphrey Street. Other suggestions included community spaces for food courts, cafés, artisans, and events.

Hawthorne Re-use Advisory Committee Chair Brian Watson told the Select Board on Wednesday that his group has settled on a plan to present and will vote on it next week.

Connors noted that leaving the building vacant would increase costs and risk deterioration. According to last year’s capital plan, demolition was initially scheduled for 2028.

“I much prefer a building that is the heart and vibrant of that area and brings people to enjoy that building,” Select Board Chair Katie Phelan said. “I think we just don’t have the luxury to wait and we have to think of something to fill the gap up to a certain period of time.”

Fletcher said the issue is not “super complicated” and urged the board to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) quickly to “get somebody in there so we have the opportunity to keep the heat on and have a functioning center.”

Board members discussed the potential timeline for a new tenant, expressing concern that few would be interested in a short-term lease.

Watson suggested the Select Board finalize its long-term vision for the property, then “fill in what has to happen between now and then.”

The Select Board agreed the RFP should allow leases of up to three years. The issue would still need to go in front of Town Meeting, and the Select Board started to discuss the warrants during Wednesday night’s meeting.

The town is also considering purchasing the parking lot next to Hawthorne-by-the-Sea, owned by St. John’s Church. The Select Board recently held executive sessions to discuss the potential acquisition, lease, or valuation of parcels at 153 and 187 Humphrey Street.

“We as a board voted to support an LOI (letter of intent) going forward to negotiate a portion of that parcel, not the whole parcel,” Phelan said. “Obviously that’s contingent upon Town Meeting voting. It’s a nonbinding LOI that we would be putting forward. It’s shaped to be determined because of some of the constraints on the church’s part.”

Select Board Vice Chair Doug Thompson added that while the board has spoken with the Monsignor, no letter of intent has been signed.

“There’s a high level understanding but many, many details to still be worked out,” Thompson said. “The Archdiocese is actually the owner, so there’s many, many steps before anything would happen.”

Fletcher noted this is the board’s second letter with the church. The first expired in December.

“We’re just keeping the ball going,” Fletcher said.

Phelan noted that unresolved details are the reason an article about the parking lot is not on the December Town Meeting about the property at this time.

The Hawthorne Re-use Advisory Committee has drafted about five double-lot concepts, all of which include the full parking lot. Watson estimated it would take about three months to finalize a preferred plan.

After the Select Board’s Wednesday decision regarding the Town Meeting warrant, Connors said it is now up to the Athanas family and their attorney to determine “what might work for them and what may not.”