SWAMPSCOTT— Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald revealed the official preliminary vision for the future of the town’s Hawthorne property at the Select Board’s latest meeting Wednesday night.
Fitzgerald proposed replacing the Humphrey Street space currently occupied by Anthony’s Pier 4 and Hawthorne By The Sea Tavern with a brand new library. He described a multi-use and modern facility that could be used throughout all months of the year. With the help of Director of Community and Economic Development Marzie Galazka, Fitzgerald led a presentation informing both the Select Board and the public on the prospect. Swampscott hired the Boston-based design and engineering firm HDR in 2023 to help create the initial vision.
“Nothing is more multi-generational than a library,” Fitzgerald said.
He imagined possibilities the new library could bring such as town government meetings, a catering kitchen, an ocean-facing reading room that can be used for special gatherings, and more.
“We know that we have a wonderful library in Swampscott, but it was built in 1917 and it has needs,” Fitzgerald said.
The project is currently in the first of four stages laid out by Fitzgerald, titled “Establish the Vision.” The other three phases revealed are known as “”Design Development and Interim Use Planning,” “Final Design and Secure Funding,” and “Construction.” The first three phases of those are slated to include one community feedback forum each, with the first scheduled to take place sometime later this month.
At the presentation’s conclusion, Fitzgerald turned it over to the Board for their input. Member MaryEllen Fletcher said she was concerned about the lack of public input up until this point. Member Peter Spellios responded to Fletcher by asserting that this proposed vision is solely a starting point, and that future resident feedback has the potential to change and shape its future.
“It’s an idea for 15,000 residents to react to,” Spellios said. “It may end up on the editing room floor, or it may evolve into a better version of this or it may sit as the Hawthorne restaurant.”
Fletcher also asked for a initial cost estimate for the library. Spellios said that $30 million would be a good number to “sleep with right now.”
Vice Chair Katie Phelan echoed Spellios’s sentiment that the vision is open to changes in the future, by comparing it to the process the Board took in choosing a developer for the Hadley School hotel project.
“The recipient that we actually ended up choosing gave the least-detailed vision,” Phelan said. “We just don’t want to throw our vision down your throat… it’s trying to strike that delicate balance.”
