I'm not surprised in the least that we can now definitively say it was arson. Now it's just a matter of proving it was the Lalani group behind it, which is the difficult part. But it can hardly be a coincidence that they wanted this building demolished so badly and then "somebody" set it on fire. God knows who though.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I'm not surprised in the least that we can now definitively say it was arson. Now it's just a matter of proving it was the Lalani group behind it, which is the difficult part. But it can hardly be a coincidence that they wanted this building demolished so badly and then "somebody" set it on fire. God knows who though.
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god, ganesh, buddha, mohammed ...
 
Just wow. I had no idea that it was ruled arson. Makes complete sense. Now if we could only figure out who it was... I'm sure most fingers would point towards those that were denied a demolishing... It really COULD be anyone, but why WOULD just anyone torch it...
 
walkingcecil said:
Just wow. I had no idea that it was ruled arson. Makes complete sense. Now if we could only figure out who it was... I'm sure most fingers would point towards those that were denied a demolishing... It really COULD be anyone, but why WOULD just anyone torch it...
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To be fair, there are people out there who like burning buildings for fun. This one, sitting there vacant and unsecured, may have been a tempting target.

It sure looks fishy, but at this point we just don't know much except that the fire was not an accident.
 
" why WOULD just anyone torch it..." QUOTE walkingcecil.


"Because it is there." QUOTE Sir Edmond Hillary.


Regards,
j t
 
Site cleared and fenced up

The sidewalk and right northbound lane are all back to normal, it's just a gravel lot now. Nothing is left except part of a wall against HMV.

Bastards.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.



...and a few bricks here

 
FAC33 said:
... This one, sitting there vacant and unsecured, may have been a tempting target.

It sure looks fishy, but at this point we just don't know much except that the fire was not an accident.
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from what i read, the building wasn't vacant ... there was main floor retail but the higher floors were mysteriously 'for lease' for an exceptionally long time.

what was vacant had it's electrical, gas, water shut off and news reports seemed to indicate the site was fairly secure.
 
Thanks for the update.
Very strange to see everything gone save for the brick remnants and fire damage.

A few weeks back I was on delivery to 10 Dundas and was using the service alley... managed to lift the fencing enough (with my coworkers help) to snag a brick that was in reach. Nothing particularly special about the brick but I was glad I was able to get it. I think in time it'll keep the loss of that building, and everything surrounding it's demise, real for me.

When that site gets developed it should include a memorial marker. Maybe keep the charred brick wall exposed? Or behind glass?
 
cdr108 said:
from what i read, the building wasn't vacant ... there was main floor retail but the higher floors were mysteriously 'for lease' for an exceptionally long time.

what was vacant had it's electrical, gas, water shut off and news reports seemed to indicate the site was fairly secure.
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The first floor retail (the restaurants and Uban Behaviour) had not been able to reopen since the north wall collapse. So while they weren't technically vacant, they also were not open for business. It was my understanding that the utilities were shut off for the entire building while repairs were underway.
 
Don't forget the basement, it was alive and well prior to the wall collapsing.

It was a couple of years since the front half of the 2nd floor was leased, I can't ever remember anything being up on the third floor.
 
" to snag a brick that was in reach" QUOTE Morgan Edge.


I did the same thing after the Walnut Hall collapse.

(If I were to be asked by a passerby, the retort would have been:

Two bricks short of a load.) NO! Really, I did abscond with 2 bricks.

Regards,
J T
 
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Some great footage! I love to see the old neon signs. They had a certain warmth and vibrancy to them that the LEDs don't.
 
Tewder said:
Some great footage! I love to see the old neon signs. They had a certain warmth and vibrancy to them that the LEDs don't.
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I agree. And, as a poster eluded to earlier in this thread, what was once a vibrant area, has been severely reduced. I believe the Zanzibar, of all places, is one of the last reminders of the strip's former glory from a neon standpoint. I remember staying with my family at the Delta Chelsea back in 1984 when I was a whopping 9 years old, armed with my Gobot Future Machine. We had dinner one night at the Swiss Chalet around the corner and took a walk south to Dundas. Even then, it felt like you were in the middle of one heck of a hoppin' city.
 
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