BEVERLY — The former McDonald’s restaurant on the Beverly waterfront was finally demolished last week to make way for a planned new restaurant. Not far away on the other side of the Beverly-Salem bridge, people are moving into a new apartment complex, which includes a waterfront walkway that gives the public access to that area for the first time.

Those developments mark the most significant signs of progress in decades for an area of the city that has failed to live up to its potential. After years of planning and delay, many are hoping the long-sought revitalization of the city’s waterfront is starting to become a reality.

“That waterfront is a gem,” said Mike Procopio, whose company built the new Sedna apartments on Congress Street. “It’s one of the neatest spots on the North Shore. Bringing residents down to the water will lead to a kind of renaissance of that strip.”

Marty Bloom, owner of the restaurant that will replace the McDonald’s, said the … [ FULL ARTICLE ]