The Select Board decided to move forward with a long-term lease for the former Hawthorne-by-the-Sea property.

Town Meeting Members voted in December to allow the Select Board to lease the former Hawthorne-by-the-Sea restaurant for up to 30 months “to limit carrying costs and protect a key community asset while long-term planning continues.” The Swampscott Center for Performing Arts’ entertainment, common victualler and liquor licenses were recently approved by the Select Board. The center has the space until the end of June 2028.

“I think the ownership should be retained in perpetuity, at least for a 99-year lease,” said Select Board Member Wayne Spritz.

The Select Board also discussed potential uses for the property, including paid municipal parking, open space and residential development.

Select Board Member Mary Ellen Fletcher said she is “completely against residential for a number of reasons,” including the need for parking. Select Board Member Wayne Spritz agreed. 

“It was not the intent when we purchased the property at all,” Spritz said.

Select Board Vice Chair Danielle Leonard and Member Ted Dooley said they both prefer to not have residential space but noted that if a small portion is needed for financial reasons, they’d be open to it. 

Leonard also said she believes the former restaurant should be demolished. Fletcher added that if it is kept, a lot of space is lost.

Hawthorne Reuse Advisory Committee Chair Brian Watson spoke during the public comment section of the Select Board meeting about his hopes for the Select Board’s vision for the RFP.

“Although the RFP should contain room for a potential developer’s imagination, at the same time, a good RFP will commit to a direction, an articulated set of larger goals and lastly a vision” Watson said. “A great plan will possess good spatial relationships and create a coherent and attractive sense of place.”

Several residents also spoke during public comment during the last Select Board meeting, expressing excitement about downtown development along Humphrey Street and the opportunities presented by the Hawthorne property.

Leaders of several town committees focused on open space and environmental issues also addressed the board.

“It’s important we don’t just pave over everything,” Tania Lillak, the chair of the Open Space Committee, said during the public comment section of the Select Board meeting. “We definitely need to think of open space and the greenery and the characteristics of this beautiful town that we have and we need to keep that. This is an opportunity for a beautiful waterfront park, a gateway jewel to our town.”

The Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee, Climate Action and Resilience Committee, Conservation Commission, Tree Committee, and the Swampscott Conservancy chairs penned a 14 page letter to Chair Katie Phelan and Town Administrator Nick Connors, copying in the rest of the Select Board as well. 

“We believe that developing the Hawthorne property be developed (sic) as primarily open space is in line with the position of a large number of the town’s residents who have consistently indicated a preference that the property be mainly developed as a public park and plaza,” the letter reads.

Swampscott is the fifth smallest town in Massachusetts, but it ranks at 25th in population density statewide. About 18% of the town’s land is open space and consists of forests, wetlands or parks. Tree canopy coverage has declined by 8.2% since 2010.

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 Select Board said on Tuesday that the environmental protections within the space are “not a question.”

What’s Going On With The Property?

At a Special Town Meeting in June 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved acquiring 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 community space as the top priority, with strong support for open space and green areas. Multi-use space ranked second, while “iconic” concepts were dominated by open-space ideas.

A town survey presented at the April 3, 2024 Select Board meeting found that residents viewed a public park and open space as the most important use of the property. Waterfront access was considered important, while revenue generation was less important and off-street public parking “not important.”

A preliminary design for a glass-encased Swampscott Public Library was unveiled in April 2024. The initial estimated cost of the preliminary design was around $30 million, according to what former Select Board Member Peter Spellios said at the time.

The plan was met with strong opposition from residents, many of whom said at the time that they felt blindsided by the proposal, and the plan was considered a dead end after a public forum in May 2024.

The Select Board created the Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee in February 2025 to develop guidelines and gather community feedback before making recommendations.

At two community meetings, residents emphasized creating “a place to go,” prioritizing pedestrians, and addressing the short lifespans of businesses on Humphrey Street. Other ideas included community spaces for food courts, cafés, artisans, and events.

The committee recently agreed to present Plan G1 to the Select Board. The plan features two rows of buildings, totaling around 25,000 square feet if two stories, set perpendicular to the road with a 40-foot opening to maintain views into the courtyard and open-space area. The model includes roughly 28 parking spaces.

A few weeks prior to the Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee’s presentation, Town Administrator Nick Connors informed the Select Board on November 6 that he had learned of the Athanas family’s decision to vacate on October 23, discovering that some of their personal items were being auctioned that same weekend. The Athanases said the property was sold three years ago and that they are “ready to move on” as the town advances its plans.

This in turn led to the Town Meeting discussion. Article No. 10 authorized the Select Board to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) during the interim planning period.

“Article No. 10 gives us the time and flexibility to keep this landmark protected, active and productive while we finish that work together,” Connors said, adding that by keeping the Hawthorne restaurant open it allows for a “dual-track” approach through  short-term activation and long-term redevelopment. “It’s both fiscally responsible and community driven, ensuring that we generate value rather than costs while we continue forward with this plan.”

Select Board Chair Katie Phelan emphasized that the short-term solution is not a replacement for long-term planning but is meant to “run tandem.”

The Swampscott Center for Performing Arts was awarded the RFP, and the Select Board has now agreed to liquor, entertainment and victualler licenses for the center. 

Meanwhile, the town is also exploring the potential purchase of the adjacent St. John’s Church parking lot, which officials say could “unlock the full potential of the site” by enabling a balanced plan that includes green space, parking, and revenue-generating redevelopment.

“You don’t want anything sticking out like a sore thumb,” Select Board Vice Chair Danielle Leonard said on Tuesday.