A neighbourhood grocery store is officially preparing to close its doors for good next week, and you might soon be able to live in the space where it’s thrived for several years.
Silva Groceries Ltd., located at 1921 Davenport Rd., is known for its fresh produce, pantry staples, flowers, and seedlings. The store has been a go-to spot for locals for years, but as the neighbourhood evolves, change is on the horizon, and the building is proposed to be redeveloped into a five-storey mixed-use structure.
An application for the development of the building has been submitted to the City and is currently under review. If approved, the 3,000-square-foot building will be transformed into a modern space with 19 residential units and commercial space on the ground floor.
The building’s design is proposed by Ambient Designs Ltd., the firm behind the stylish Ethica Coffee Roasters building on Sterling Road.
The project proposes to include four parking spaces at the rear, which will be accessible from a public lane. The building has been sitting on the market for over a year, and the asking price is now just shy of $3 million.
The original structure was built in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century as a TD Bank (formerly Dominion Bank) by architect John M. Lyle. While there is no word yet on whether any of the original building will be preserved, the plans for the redevelopment aim to expand the total square footage to nearly 20,000 square feet, including a basement for vehicle and bike parking.
The news of the grocery store’s upcoming closure quickly spread in local Facebook groups, where many shoppers grieved the loss of the shop.
“I’m so sad about this as well. We desperately need a good green grocer in the area,” one person commented, while another added, “I’m so sorry to hear this. I always went to them for seedlings and flowers. They were a community staple.”
blogTO has reached out to Silva Groceries for more information regarding the closure.
