Pawtucket’s Redevelopment Agency will be auctioning off the historic Silver Top Diner on October 5, 2016 at 10 am at its site on Middle Street in Pawtucket.
In late 2001, the city of Pawtucket learned the Silver Top Diner was being evicted from its location on Harris and Kinsley Avenue, (behind what is now the Providence Place mall) after operating in that spot since the late 1930s in Providence. The Silver Top Diner served last meal at that location on March 3, 2002.
At this time Herb Weiss, Pawtucket’s Economic & Cultural Affairs Officer, contacted Pat Brown, manager at the Silver Top Diner Manager, to discuss the possibility of bringing this historic diner to Pawtucket. City officials and the owner, Bernard Buoncervello, met to discuss possible site locations and financial assistance for this project.
A dated letter, February 27, 2002, from Michael Cassidy, the PRA’s Executive Director, stated the Agency had agreed to a $100,000 loan and set conditions. After the promissory note and other legal documents were signed, the diner was relocated to a Pawtucket site on Middle Street, owned by the PRA. The PRA assisted the owner in putting together a plan to rehabilitate and reuse the diner.
Unfortunately, the diner’s owner was insistent in operating the diner 24/7 in Pawtucket. In a letter dated January 30, 2002, the Planning Director explained victualling license requirements to operate in the City and that the City Council would make the decision as to operating times.
A neighborhood meeting was organized to discuss the diner owner’s request for a 24/7 victualling license. Neighbors opposed the 24/7 open hours, and, ultimately the City Councilor would not support this request.
In spring 2003 a site and building design plan were put out for bid with no bids received.
At the suggestion of the PRA, the City’s Pawtucket Business Development Corporation hired a consultant to write a business plan to seek financing for the project. However, no business financing was secured for the project and the project stalled.
In March 2007, the PRA filed a complaint with Superior Court against the diner’s owner to recover the loan. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2012 and was remanded to the Superior Court and retried in November 2015. Three months later the Superior Court ruled that the PRA had possession of the diner and it could be auctioned off.
Since its relocation to Pawtucket, the Silver Top Diner has remained covered with a tarp and unused since 2002.
