"I'm probably like a stone in their shoe." Why one man decided not to sell to a developer in Toronto
The story behind the lone holdout building in the former Mirvish neighbourhood
David Spiro bought an old Victorian building on Bathurst street in Toronto 15 years ago. The flashy and famed Toronto discount store Honest Ed's stood to the north and Mirvish Village, the vibrant retail area with affordable rents and plenty of artists' studios, surrounded it.
Spiro rented the lower floor of his building as a retail space and the upper floors as apartments. For many years, the quirky and beloved neighbourhood his building sat in flourished, but over time, fewer shoppers were making the trip downtown to Honest Ed's for their household items.
In 2013, when Honest Ed's and the entire block around it was sold by the Mirvish family to a developer, his building was one of only two in the middle of the block that were not part of the sale. While the other property owner eventually sold to the developer, Spiro remained steadfast.
Watch the video to find out why.
Watch There's No Place Like This Place, Anyplace, on CBC Docs POV.
