What's Next For Former Swampscott Hawthorne Property?

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A performing arts center and cafe is set to move into the former Hawthorne Restaurant property in Swampscott through June 2028 after the Select Board voted to award a temporary lease to the proposal while the long-term future of the town-owned site is determined.

The Select Board debated the merits of the two finalist candidates through a request for proposal — one being a Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts and one being a limited-time venue featuring food trucks and other outdoor activities — as well as a consideration to demolish the former restaurant ahead of the property's long-term development.

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"We've been very publicly honest about this," Select Board Chair Katie Phelan said. "You guys are there for that period of time — until June of 2028 — and we're going to have someone waiting in the wings. And we are coming up with a plan, whether it includes that building or not, and then we're moving on from this.

"This has become a thorn in our side when it was supposed to be the jewel of the town."

Select Board members David Grishman and Danielle Leonard both pushed for strong consideration of not extending a lease and making plans for more immediate demolition before Leonard ultimately joined the majority of the board and voted to extend the lease option to the performing arts center.

"We could be getting ourselves into more trouble than it's worth," Leonard said. "We are the landlords of that building. I just foresee the worst happening. I just don't know that it's a smart move for 27 months."

Select Board member MaryEllen Fletcher pushed for a temporary lease while the long-term development plans are advertised as a way to bring in some revenue from the property that the town purchased for $7 million in 2022.

"I do think both of these proposals are good proposals," Fletcher said. "I do think that one is better than the other. ... To miss out on an opportunity to make some additional money in there while we get to a shovel-ready project, I personally feel that taking that step is in the best interest of the community."

Johnny Ray, a former Vegas performer who recently opened Johnny Ray's Music Emporium in Marblehead, said the performing arts center would include a cafe, gift shop, event venue and a children's theater room upstairs, if feasible.

Ray described the performing arts center as "a cultural center" and a "gateway to the North Shore."

"Almost like a visiting center," he said. "It will have a restaurant, a showroom (music hall) ... something that will attract regional entertainment.

"We won't invest anything further than what is needed to open the facility and get it operational. And then any other future investment depends on the performance of those entities within the property."

More on the proposed performing arts center can be found here.

It was stated at the Select Board meeting that the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts will now have 30 days to inspect the property to ensure it is suitable for use, as Select Board members said the town will be unwilling to spend on capital improvements on a building that is likely eventually going to be razed.