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Fiery controversy over condo: Danforth store torched for cash to become big building
This is a city that will fine you if you fart the wrong way and yet apparently cant stop these people. Am I the only one that sees something fundamentally wrong (and fishy) about this?
| quote: | Fiery controversy over condo: Granatstein
Danforth store torched for cash to become big building
The blasts that rocked their neighbourhood and forced them out of their home at 12:34 a.m. on Christmas Day, 2001 still feel like yesterday to Greta LaRiviere.
“My mom thought she was back in the war,” said Greta, whose house backs on to the site on Danforth Ave., just west of Woodbine. That’s where Woodbine Building Supplies used to be before a massive six-alarm blaze — one of the biggest Toronto’s seen — exploded, filling the night sky with smoke and flames.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night,” said Greta, a resident of Moberly Ave. for 18 years. “It was awful.”
The fire killed Tony Jarcevic, 22, who set it, badly burned Sam Paskalis, who later confessed to conspiracy and received a seven-year sentence for arson and manslaughter.
Adrian Roks, a buddy of store president and co-owner John Magno, went down for second-degree murder.
The theory the Crown successfully argued was Roks conspired with Magno and served as his alibi so Magno could collect a $3.5-million insurance windfall off his failing business and move ahead with plans to build a 228-unit condo on the site.
The Magno brothers, who owned Woodine Building Supplies, the store founded by their father, bought extra content insurance weeks before the fire, court heard.
Supreme Court fight
John Magno fought whether he could be charged with second-degree murder all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada — and lost. He’ll finally go on trial starting April 6. He’s always maintained his innocence.
As for the site itself, more than eight years post-inferno, the miserable “Big Hole” on Danforth is finally set to be developed.
And who is the developer set to cash in? JFC Properties — JFC standing for John, Frank and Carlo Magno.
The same family that owned the hardware store.
The crown alleges brother John was at the heart of the plan to burn down the building collect the insurance bucks, and told Priestly Demolition he’d made other arrangements to demo the site, rather than pay $145,000 to knock it down, according to testimony heard in court.
The property has never been sold.
“It’s the brother of the individual up on charges who is developing it,” said local Coun. Sandra Bussin.
And there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
“The property owner has the right to develop it,” Bussin said of the city’s position. “We can only deal with them through the planning process.”
Neither of John Magno’s brothers were charged.
Good building
The plan is for an attractive, 12-storey condo, with 144 units — far bigger than the two-storey retail buildings found along that stretch now, and higher than the recommended nine storeys in the Official Plan.
Bussin said the city pushed JFC Properties to hire a high-end architect, and the result is quite good.
In this case, the Danforth will get a good building near a subway station on an avenue slated for intensification.
“The building isn’t as much of a concern for us as the people building the building,” Greta LaRiviere said. “We’re worried about promises they make. They always cut corners, why would this be any different?”
For years before the fire, LaRiviere and her neighbours fought tooth and nail with Woodbine Building Supplies over noise and all manner of issues that made living next to the store a living hell. Her husband, Tim, hands over years worth of complaints to prove his point. They felt trampled on and even victories at the committee of adjustment and fines didn’t soothe the pain.
Then they and 49 other families were forced out of their houses on Christmas when the arsonists torched the place. After the fire came months of noisy cleanup and then illegal dumping.
Tim LaRiviere is just plain frustrated.
“They torched the place so they could build a condo and make lots of money,” said LaRiviere. “And that’s exactly what they’ll do.”
Bussin said it’s time for the “horrible blight” on the Danforth to be removed.
“The Danforth has suffered over the years. When the subway came in, it literally died. Let’s see a revitalization of the Danforth. This is a beautiful building.”
Some residents at a meeting last week objected to the height. Others thought the building actually wasn’t grand enough, seeing as it would have unobstructed views west to downtown and south to the lake from one of the highest points in the area.
But this building will be built. |
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| quote: | Originally posted by jester
Everything in this country is illegal. |
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