The Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee has selected a preferred plan for the Humphrey Street property, which the group will present to the Select Board next week.
The committee chose Plan G1, which has two lines of buildings perpendicular to the road, with an about 40-foot “gap” with an archway or building stories above, if the buildings are more than one floor, so there is a clear view into the courtyard and open space area. The model includes approximately 28 parking spaces.
“Of all of the plans, G1 was the one that best met those goals and criteria,” Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee Chair Brian Watson told the Swampscott Tides. “It has a park component. It has a building component with some revenue. It has a courtyard area, and it has some park area.”
An official vote will take place on Tuesday in an open meeting, Watson told the Swampscott Tides. The committee will present G1 to the Select Board on Wednesday, November 19.
In June 2022, a Special Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved the purchase of several properties, including the Hawthorne parcel 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, passing 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 2025. Public feedback at recent meetings has shown support both for park-forward concepts and for larger buildings that could generate revenue. The committee also recently met with Don Giard, a regional planner with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, who presented ideas for urban-village-style streetscapes.
Historically, from about 1900 until the construction of Hawthorne-by-the-Sea in 1967, Humphrey Street featured a row of buildings.
At the 2022 Town Meeting, then-Finance Committee Member Tim Dorsey noted potential opportunities for federal and state grants to support open-space development.
According to the Swampscott Conservancy, an artist’s rendering of a park-like vision “led many to vote in favor of buying the land at Town Meeting.” The concept featured 20 parking spaces, walking trails, a park café or restaurant, pergolas, open lawn space, and a scenic beach overlook.
In January of 2023, there was a half-day community brainstorming session. Community space was seen as the most important priority. The strongest support was for “park/open space/green space,” with multi-use space coming in second. When it came to “iconic” concepts, open space ideas overwhelmingly led the way.
The Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory 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.
The committee also previously discussed whether to retain the Hawthorne-by-the-Sea restaurant building. Watson said the group felt that, given its goals — particularly ocean views and revenue generation — keeping the restaurant structure was not the most beneficial option. He added that public sentiment also leaned away from preserving it.
“There were very few we felt that were voting to keep the restaurant as a restaurant,” Watson said at Wednesday’s meeting.
All but one committee member voted to demolish the building.
Town Administrator Nick Connors announced at the November 6 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.
“It is with mixed emotions that we announce the closing of Hawthorne-by-the-Sea and Anthony’s Pier 4 Cafe,” Anthony Jr., Michael and Paul Athanas wrote to the Swampscott Tides. “For 80 years, we have had the immense privilege of being part of your lives and the fabric of the Swampscott community.”
The Athanas family noted that the property was sold three years ago and that they are “ready to move on,” as the town “prepares to move forward with its plans.” They also expressed their “deepest gratitude to our incredible and loyal staff.”
At the November 6 meeting, the Select Board agreed that a future Request for Proposals should allow leases of up to three years at the former Hawthorne-by-the-Sea site. Any such measure would require Town Meeting approval, and the board began discussing the related warrants at Wednesday’s meeting.
The town is also considering purchasing the parking lot next to the former restaurant, owned by St. John’s Church. The Select Board has recently held executive sessions to discuss the potential acquisition, lease, or valuation of parcels at 153 and 187 Humphrey Street.
At its November 13 meeting, the Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee voted to endorse the same development criteria for a potential two-lot version of the project. Such a plan would need to include:
- Some amount of park
- A publicly accessible walkway along the coast
- Some amount of revenue
- Some amount of buildings
- Some amount of parking
“We would essentially apply the exact same ingredients,” Watson said, adding that the K1 design on the town website is currently the one that fits those criteria.
Updated November 14 at 10:05 a.m. with Brian Watson’s name
Updated November 16 at 3:00 p.m. with updated meeting information
