Politics & Government

Grown Ups 2 Set Construction Underway

The town and Columbia Pictures have signed an agreement allowing the temporary use of a section of Phillips Park and other locations in town.

 

Action on Bondelevitch Way.

The first stirrings of what will become a swimming pool set for Grown Ups 2 are underway with the arrival of heavy equipment, fill and survey crews to Phillips Park.

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Now that the town has an agreement in place with Columbia Pictures for the temporary use of town properties, expect more and more stirrings, culminating with the arrival of stars.

Town Administrator Thomas Younger said the town will receive $248,000 from the movie people for the temporary lease of property through Aug. 17.

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That agreement includes $175,000 for the use of the practice football field and a portion of the parking lot at Phillips Park, as well as the parking lot at the former Temple Israel property on Humphrey Street.

It includes $40,000 for a single day of shooting at Swampscott Middle School.

And it includes $5,000 to the Historical Commission for the use of the train station building.

In these tough economic times, the funds are welcome, the town administrator said.

He plans to form a committee, an Ad Hoc group, to review and make recommendations on how to use the movie money.

Columbia has not announced when the shooting at Phillips Park will start, though June 4, is the planned date for shooting at the Middle School.

Filming dates are subject to change based on script changes, weather and other variables, the town administrator said.

Charles Harrington, one of the location managers for Columbia, said last week that a full 50 percent of the movie was expected to be shot in Swampscott with other scenes filmed in Marblehead and other North Shore communities.

Columbia expects to shoot scenes at six or seven houses in Swampscott.

Those agreements have no connection to the town other than the coordination needed with police and any other municipal departments.

On Monday, at Phillips Park, on the section behind the Blocksidge Field stands, trucks were delivering fill, loaders were moving storage bins and crews were working on generators and surveying the property.

Two large crane-like structures, called JLGs, were on the property, as well.

These are exciting times for the town, the town administrator said.

Students, in particular, are excited about the prospect of seeing Adam Sandler and other movie stars.

Also there is excitement in being part of the Hollywood experience, being a setting for a movie that millions of people will see.

In the meantime, Swampscott will be host and see it unfold in its backyard.

 

 


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