Swampscott Seeks Resident Input On Hawthorne Property's Future

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — The Hawthorne Reuse Advisory Committee is looking for resident input on the future of the oceanfront restaurant site that the town bought for $7 million in 2022.

The process of determining what to do with the property was restarted last year after one plan to turn the property into a new library and community open space received a mixed reaction in a series of public forums.

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The Committee is conducting an online survey ahead of the next public meeting on the future of the property on Sept. 18 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Swampscott High School.

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The town's initial findings from an idea exchange indicated a desire for the space to offer "a unique opportunity to celebrate Swampscott and the amazing views, through a combination of architecture and open space."

Feedback included using the space to become a revenue-generator for the town, providing parking, incorporating public restrooms and being tied to the redevelopment of the Hadley School into a boutique hotel.

Conceptual drawings for potential site development — as commissioned in April — can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)