It looks like a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and showcasing comedy in films, video, and more is planning to open a comedians concert hall, hotel and restaurant on one of the area's busiest roads.
According to The Saugus Advertiser and Wicked Local, the National Comedians Hall of Fame is on the verge of buying the former Jin space on Route 1 near the Route 99 intersection in Saugus. (Jin was shut down in late 2009 after town selectmen voted to revoke all of their licenses due in part to public safety issues and back taxes owed.) The article mentions that if all goes as planned, the 65,000-square-foot building could feature a family-friendly comedy-themed restaurant with a capacity of 150 to 200, a performing arts theater that would be available for community events, a museum honoring comedians, a hotel, and a gift shop.
The co-founder and vice president of the National Comedians Hall of Fame believes that the complex could attract at least 800,000 people annually once it opens (if it happens, a tentative opening date appears to be sometime in the fall of 2012).
[July 11 update: According to The Boston Globe, the opening of the National Comedians Hall of Fame in Saugus appears to be only a possibility now, as the people behind the proposed place are also looking at Jamestown, NY, as well as Niagara Falls.]
The National Comedians Hall of Fame is accepting donations through their website to help pay for the planned complex, and the foundation also provides funding for helping the homeless, American veterans, and children's hospitals, according to their website and Twitter page. The website for the National Comedians Hall of Fame can be found at: http://www.comedianshalloffame.org/
For more information on this story, please go to the Saugus Advertiser/Wicked Local article below.
National Comedians Hall of Fame seeks Saugus opening
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