Renovation of a mixed-use development in Salem, Massachusetts. Completed plans call for the renovation of a five-unit multi-residential development; and office development.

An historic building with connections to Nathaniel Hawthorne has become the focus of controversy, as some preservationists back plans for a renovation and addition, while others are trying to prevent it. "I went online and signed the petition to stop myself from turning that building into condos," said Walter Beebe-Center, owner of Essex Restoration. He wants to restore the property to its original, historical appearance and build five apartments inside. Essex Restoration's plan is up for discussion before the Historical Commission Wednesday. Beebe-Center was hired more than two years ago to begin restoring much of the property, but the project was put on hold because of a death in the Peabody family. The three-story home at 53 Charter St. is next to The Burying Point, the city’s oldest cemetery, and is valued for its connection to Salem's famed writer Nathaniel Hawthorne The Historical Commission has no legal jurisdiction over the property, as it is not located in an historic district. Essex Restoration is voluntarily seeking the commission's input, with the hope of landing its influential support before taking the plan to the Salem Redevelopment Authority, which does have jurisdiction The project will be discussed Wednesday, Feb. 6, at a Salem Historical Commission meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the first-floor conference room of the City Hall Annex, 98 Washington St. The Grimshawe House plan is the seventh item on the agenda. Per the city, as of April 30, 2019, construction has started on this project.