April
9,
2007
Editorial/The Daily Item
Rebirth of Anthony’s site essential
for downtown Lynn
Athanas family appears ready to deal
Back in January we expressed our
support, albeit with reservations, for the Lynn Economic
Development and Industrial Corporation’s move to force action toward redevelopment
of the former Anthony’s Hawthorne restaurant.
There was some tough talk by EDIC’s
new executive director; James Cowdell, and others, about
an eminent domain taking a possibility if the Athanas
family continues to let the site, vacant for more than
five years, lay dormant.
Today, we’re encouraged to hear that a representative
of the family has begun talks with the EDIC on the property’s
future, and the threat of a land taking has, at least for
now, been suspended.
After all, it is a rare circumstance
that a public agency should take a private property only
to turn it over to another private owner, especially
when the taxes are current. It remains to be seen if
a deal will be reached – there
are reportedly at least a couple of parties interested
in acquiring the property – but our hope is that
the family realizes how critical this property at 35-37
Central Avenue is to overall effort to revitalize the downtown.
In late January and February several
letters were printed in the Item from those contending
the city and EDIC shouldn’t
pick on the Athanas family, and going on about how important
the late family patriarch, Anthony Athanas, was to the
City of Lynn. And that latter point is precisely why the
family should step up now and do what’s best for
the city.
The property in question was the
first of five eateries opened by the late nationally
renowned restaurateur. Anthony’s
Hawthorne opened its doors in 1937. And by all accounts,
in the decades that followed Anthony Athanas had a passion
for the City of Lynn.
Clearly, his sons who today own and
operate the family restaurants, including Anthony’s
Pier 4 in Boston, have no immediate financial need to
sell the empty Hawthorne. The city, however, does have
a vital economic interest in seeing this site reborn
sooner than later.
As is, the long abandoned building – an almost haunting
testament to what once was – is hardly a tribute
to the family patriarch. We encourage the Athanas family,
if for any other reason as a show of civic pride responsibility,
to sell this property to a party as eager to build their
success in Lynn as their father was 70 years ago.
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