Gaudy and much-loved discount store Honest Ed’s is up for sale
Gaudy and much-loved discount store Honest Ed’s is up for sale
More than six decades after the late Ed Mirvish opened his iconic emporium at Bloor and Bathurst, his family is looking to sell the valuable, subway-adjacent property. The National Post reports that several real estate companies have quietly been invited to bit on Honest Ed’s and a large swath of neighbouring land in a deal that could be worth $100 million. However, Mirvish’s son David—who has already riled up some change-averse Torontonians with plans to raze the Princess of Wales Theatre—refused to comment on a possible sale. What he did say: “everything is on the market with me … you never know what will happen in the future.” Not exactly reassuring. [National Post]
Just because people are against the impending demolition of the Princess of Wales, doesn’t mean they are ‘change-averse.’ The PoW is Toronto’s best performing arts venue, the only one in the city that is completely barrier free, is only 20 years old and state-of-the-art and has been booked nearly solid for at least the past 2 years (and will be through 2014). The lie that David Mirvish is peddling that it is unused most of the time is just a line he’s using to justify his decision and his desire to create his own legacy at the expense of his father’s. The other buildings affected on King St are historic and with a little TLC could be an amazing neighbourhood in downtown Toronto (all of those buildings, it should be noted, are well used and not decrepit eye-sores). In less than a year, David Mirvish is revealed to be undoing his father’s legacy in this city, not to mention the fact that several years after his death, David still hasn’t seen the need to give his father’s grave a headstone. Ed deserves better, as does Toronto. But then again, this is the city that also allowed the loss of another landmark in Sam the Record Man and even more disgustingly cheered when a Toronto icon, Maple Leaf Gardens, was turned into a grocery store.
David Mirvish is doing to retail, like the children of Allan Waters did with CHUM and its other holdings.
if you want to preserve this iconic landmark , sign the petition here !
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/save-honest-ed-s