This article is shared with permission from the nonprofit Swampscott Tides.
The Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts — and its owner Johnny Ray of Marblehead — are four months behind on rent payments to the town, Swampscott Town Administrator Nick Connors announced during Wednesday’s Select Board meeting
The Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts is currently in a short-term lease within the former Hawthorne-by-the-Sea property. The center told The Swampscott Tides Thursday morning that it is “excited to be working in partnership with the town to address several longstanding matters involving the property that remained unaddressed for years by previous ownership, while continuing to explore opportunities that will support its continued growth and long-term success.”
“There’s a plan for catch up payments in the coming weeks,” Connors said during Wednesday’s meeting, suggesting that the Select Board would later meet in an executive session to “explore all of the options and opportunities in our disposal to move forward.”
The Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts told the Swampscott Tides the group is “aware of the property’s financial obligations to the town and are actively engaged in private discussions with them to address these matters constructively.”
Following a Town Meeting vote, the Select Board approved the plans to lease the property while broader redevelopment discussions continue. The short-term lease is intended to prevent the building from sitting vacant as long-range plans take shape.
The Center for the Performing Arts could also serve as a “gateway to the North Shore, which is what Swampscott really is,” Johnny Ray said on behalf of the center in March.
When the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts was proposed, the RFP response made several mentions of “long-term” efforts. Ray said at a meeting in March that the capital expenditure for managed entities would be $600,000.
In February, the group proposed to provide the town with $300,000 over the 30-month lease. Based on that proposal, it is unclear whether the center is now approximately $40,000 behind on its rental obligations.
“That’s obviously concerning,” Select Board Vice Chair Danielle Leonard said.
The Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts earned entertainment, common victualler and liquor licenses and opened to the public after Labor Day. Since, the center has hosted bands and other forms of entertainment as well as fundraising events like the one in October to support the Marblehead Counseling Center, Swamp-Stock.
“We opened our doors on September 5 and are welcoming guests Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. We encourage everyone to come by, enjoy the incredible views, great food, inviting lounges, and, most importantly, the exciting lineup of live performances, events, and entertainment we have planned every weekend,” the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts told the Swampscott Tides. “We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished so far. Our vision has always been to create a vibrant performing arts and entertainment destination that brings people together, enriches the community, and serves as an engine for local economic growth.”
Renzo’s Pizza and Maria’s Cafe have also found their new homes within the Swampscott Center for Performing Arts umbrella.
“Today, we are seeing that vision come to life by creating meaningful employment opportunities, supporting local businesses, attracting visitors, and contributing to a stronger local economy,” the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts told the Swampscott Tides. “We believe the best is yet to come. We remain enthusiastic about our partnership with the town, deeply committed to the community, and excited about the opportunities ahead.”
This is not the first time the center has had an issue with the town, either. In July town officials told the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts that it cannot charge residents to park in its lot.
Leading up to the town’s Fourth of July events on July 3, the Swampscott Center for Performing Arts posted a parking sign indicating that people could use the lot for $5 on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., $10 on weekends and $40 for the July 3 event. The sign stated that “parking dollars go to fund entertainment and community outreach for the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts.”
Even more so, this is not the first time the people involved with the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts – who also work with the Beacon and the Warwick in Marblehead – have been accused of money issues.
Tim Nasson, the former general manager of the Warwick Theater, told the Swampscott Tides that the theater’s operators, including Johnny Ray and ANH Restaurant and Entertainment Group LLC, had allegedly accumulated more than $150,000 in unpaid bills and wages. Nasson said Ray was involved in name only.
The ANH group and the Beacon reached out to the Swampscott Tides Thursday to say they have “absolutely nothing” to do with the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts.
The Swampscott Tides had already filed a public records request last week to further investigate these allegations. The newspaper will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Read the Marblehead Current’s article on Ray, The Warwick and The Beacon HERE.
