Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property Entries Online
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Click here for Summer 2002 Update

Silva Building

Roxbury
• Late 19th century commercial block distinguished by fine four-story curved façade and iron storefront

• Most prominent of numerous vacant commercial buildings along Blue Hill Avenue

• Department of Neighborhood Development has recently stabilized the building and installed a new roof

• Revitalization of Blue Hill Avenue is a priority of Mayor Menino

silva.jpg (66680 bytes)
Name: Silva Building Bldg SqFt: 13,500 Lot SqFt: 6,344
Address: 447-451 Blue Hill Avenue Ward: 12 Parcel: 2622
Neighborhood: Roxbury Zoning: Neighborhood Shopping Subdistrict (NS)
Year Built: 1898 Use: Vacant
Style: Georgian Revival Condition: Good
Architect(s): A.J. Drisco Owner: City of Boston
Historic Certification: National Register eligible historic district (Grove Hall)
FY99 Building Assessment: N/A
FY02 Building Assessment: $70,400		 FY99 Tax: N/A
FY02 Tax: N/A
FY99 Land Assessment: $33,000
FY02 Land Assessment: $62,600		 Tax Status: Exempt

Preservation Strategy:

The preservation community should encourage and support the city's initiatives in aggressively marketing the Silva Building as a means of encouraging business development, promoting urban values, and preserving the city's architectural heritage.

Significance:

Grove Hall, which straddles Dorchester and Roxbury, remained relatively undeveloped until the 1890s, when the streetcar transformed the neighborhood into a desirable commercial and residential neighborhood. Blue Hill Avenue, Washington Street, and Columbia Road became especially well-known for their architecturally impressive collections of masonry apartment blocks and commercial buildings. Regents Hall (referred to as such in the 1933 Bromley Atlas) stands at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Warren Street, at the summit of a steep incline rising up from Boston. The building’s distinctive four-story curved façade and fine cast iron storefront piers create a prominent presence along the Blue Hill Avenue streetscape.

Preservation Challenges:

Grove Hall is an area that has suffered from serious disinvestment over the past decades. The mayor has established a Blue Hill Avenue Task Force to address the development problems along the corridor. The City acquired the building in 1996. The Department of Neighborhood Development recently invested $180,000 in the Silva Building to rebuild a partially collapsed wall caused by a fire and to replace the roof. The building is now structurally sound and is ready for redevelopment. The Department of Neighborhood Development is consulting with the Blue Hill Avenue Task Force about future uses for the building.

Neighborhood Context:

The Silva Building is located at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Warren Street. It is two blocks north of the Haitian Baptist Church, a recent National Register listing. It is also north of several blocks of vacant or mostly vacant commercial/residential buildings and vacant lots. The new Grove Hall Mall is under construction across the street, at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Washington Street.

Other Sources of Information:

MHC area form for Grove Hall

Entry Completed: 06/04/1999

Summer 2002 Update:

The City of Boston, Department of Neighborhood Development plans to sell the building this fall to Long Bay Management, who will redevelop this property into commercial office and ground floor retail space. The Stull & Lee redevelopment design also includes the construction of a new annex connected to the Silva Building by a glass atrium and 15 surface parking spaces. In addition to retail tenants, the completed building will house Long Bay Management's office and Family Day Care Programs, Inc. Project financing includes a HUD 108 mortgage. Estimate Cost: $2.5 million.

Update Entry Completed: 08/07/2002

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