By Frank Juliano | Connecticut Post | June 1, 2009

The Milford Diner won't be demolished and will likely stay in its current downtown location, the owner said Friday.

"I've talked to a number of people who want to save it. That's what they want, that's what I want and it sounds like that's what the city wants,'' Bill DaSilva said. Although the demolition permit he was issued would allow him to remove the diner's wooden kitchen annex at any time, DaSilva said even that section will be spared.

The 1940s-vintage, chrome-trimmed diner has been closed more than five years, since the last owner retired. DaSilva, who also owns the SBC Restaurant across the parking lot from the diner, originally wanted to remove it.

"It's never going to be a diner again,'' he said, "but I'm open to ideas on what to do with it.''

The Economic Development Commission voted last week to invite DaSilva to a special meeting to "brainstorm'' about the diner. That meeting hadn't been scheduled by Friday afternoon.

The need for a modern kitchen and handicapped-accessible lavatories would make serving food in the diner unfeasible, officials said. Commissioners expressed a strong interest in seeing the small but distinctive building used as a tourist center, even if it had to be relocated elsewhere downtown.

But Kathy Alagno, executive director of the Milford Chamber of Commerce, noted that the chamber already serves that function on most weekdays, and could stay open on weekends if funding were available.

"We've already got a place for visitors to get information,'' Alagno said. "It doesn't make a lot of sense to duplicate efforts.''

Robert Gregory, the city's economic development director, said that he has been contacted by a party interested in leaving the diner where it is and using it as an office.

That idea didn't sit too well with many of the commissioners.

"The last thing Milford needs downtown is another office, especially on the first floor,'' Susan Ashelford said.