10 Things to Look Forward to in Marblehead in 2013

The Opening of Warwick Place

Marblehead's new 38,000-square-foot office and retail building on Pleasant Street will open this year. The building, which is rapidly taking shape, will house a high-end restaurant with outdoor seating, a movie theater and small cafe. Click Here for a photo timeline of construction.

Renovations Inside the Old Town House

A project aimed at making Marblehead's Old Town House universally accessible will kick off this year. The project, which calls for the installation of a three-story elevator and two handicapped bathrooms, was unanimously endorsed by the town's Board of Selectmen and passed by a margin of 456 to 30 at Town Meeting.

A Local Screening of Grown Ups 2

The filming of Grown Ups 2 in Marblehead was by far the biggest story of 2012. Before leaving town, officials at Columbia Pictures assured the Board of Selectmen that a screening of the movie (possibly outdoors) would be put on in Marblehead in advance of the big release.

Comella's Coming to Marblehead

A Comella's Restaurant location will be opening on Atlantic Avenue this year.

Members of Marblehead's Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a request from Comella's Restaurants co-owner John Comella to open up a restaurant in the former Moran Studios space at the corner of Commercial Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Glover School Construction

Marblehead residents can also expect to see the new Glover School go up on Maple Street. The total budget for the building project is estimated to be $25 million and the state's School Building Authority will contribute 40 percent of the eligible costs for a total grant of $10 million. The new Glover will be 79,108-square-feet and is being built on the same site that the former school occupied.

The Return of the Abbot Hall Weather Vane

For the thousands of local residents whose view of the Marblehead "skyline" includes the Abbot Hall bell-tower, the fact that the building is missing it's trademark weather vane has taken some getting used to. 

No need to worry - the town's Historical Commission announcing that they recently secured $9,500 to be used toward restoring the piece of Marbehead history.

A Whole New Building on Atlantic Avenue

The former home of the Fruit of the Four Seasons on Atlantic Avenue is expected to be torn down by the end of the year to make way for a new one-story, 2,000-square-foot commercial space. The new building will have two separate storefronts facing Atlantic Avenue and the latest plans call for the creation of several new parking spaces along Barnard Street.

Here Comes Haley's Market Cafe

The space formerly occupied by The Rockhopper Cafe will reopen in mid-January as Haley's Market Cafe and work inside is in full swing. The new downtown eatery will be opened by Haley's Wine and Spirits owners Julie Vinette and Paul Baker, who originally ran Foodie's Feast in the same space before it was sold and reopened as The Rockhopper.

Lead Mills Development

Local residents unanimously approved a proposal to purchase the recently rehabilitated Chadwick Lead Mills property at Town Meeting this year, paving the way for the purchase of the 5-acre site, located off of Lafayette Street near the Salem/Marblehead line.

Stramski Pier, Stramski House

A pier construction project at Stramski Beach is expected to be completed this year and renovations inside a town-owned home at the end of Stramski Way will move forward in 2013.

---

Is there something you're looking forward to that didn't make our list? Let us know in the comments section below.