16 Jul 2013

This is why everyone hates Brad Lamb.

Honest Ed’s for sale – Brad Lamb shows no respect.

I need to start off this post by saying: Brad, I’m not hating, I’m just saying. I owe a lot of my success to what I learned while working for you so you’ve got my respect but to those that don’t know you…well…this is why they hate you.

This morning I woke up to read the inevitable in a National Post article. The infamous Honest Eds site (store over 150,000sqft and adjoining properties totaling nearly 350,000sqft) has secretly gone up for sale and will likely fetch an estimated $100 Million dollars. Not a real a surprise is it? The land is prime and could be a good opportunity for a mixed use development. Anyway, this post isn’t about the potential development, it’s about Brad Lamb and his comments. You can’t help but respect a man that essentially built the condo market in Toronto. He’s a hard working opportunist who’s built a multi million dollar real estate brokerage and an even larger development company….BUT

The National Post, like many other publications, called in Brad as a development expert to chime in on this potential sale. I’d agree with him on all the points he made in the article except one, the one that will really hit a lot of Torontonians in the heart. When asked about the sale, here’s what he said:

It would be great,” said Mr. Lamb, about the Honest Ed’s site. “That thing is an eyesore.

That eyesore is where my Grandfather used to take me when I was a kid. The man was cheap with a capital C! Well, let’s say frugal, it sounds better. He was very generous with the family but he connected with the Mirvish message. He (we) felt welcome there. He was able to brag about the fantastic deals when he came home and it gave me a beautiful memory of my childhood. I know you think this is all bullshit, Brad. But this is what makes Toronto, Toronto. These memories, our history, our roots. Change needs to happen to accommodate a growing metropolis but think you could be a little more sensitive about it? You may end up liking the result.

Also, this isn’t just about my experience and some sort of NIMBY rant. Thousands of Torontonians also have the same connection to Honest Ed’s. Aside from the physical location, the Mirvish family has done so much for the City of Toronto, it would be an utter shame to not honour their legacy in some significant way as part of the future development.

Hope you’re all staying warm today…damn it’s HOT!

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