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  • authored by remote viewer
  • published Sat, Jan 22, 2005

Mondo Unplugged

Up Close and Personal With the Man Behind the Plan

Since beginning our long hard look at events at the west end Toronto hotel that is the subject of our Mondo Condo feature, questions about what's going there have piled up. Why is the hotel being sold off as condo units? Why is the UFCW's Canadian Commercial Industry Pension Plan - a part owner of the property - going along with this conversion even though it will mean layoffs for the UFCW members who work there? What happened to the millions of dollars that CCWIPP loaned to the previous owner? Who is Joe Ieradi, the man behind the conversion project? Is there a connection between him and the UFCW or its pension plan? Is he a part of their "exit strategy" from this not-very-impressive investment?

A while back, labour journalist Hugh Finnamore contacted Ieradi. This weekend, we're please to bring you the discussion that ensued. Most of the questions continue to linger but some light has been shed on at least one. Does Ieradi have a UFCW connection? Check it out and decide for yourself.

In order to facilitate downloading, we're presenting the interview in a series of 13 mp3 clips (each about 1 mg). Here's the first half of Mondo Unplugged. Stay tuned for the rest:

Unplugged 1
Unplugged 2
Unplugged 3
Unplugged 4
Unplugged 5
Unplugged 6
Unplugged 7

The second half:

Unplugged 8
Unplugged 9
Unplugged 10
Unplugged 11
Unplugged 12
Unplugged 13

The Whole Thing (12.3 mb)

  • posted by siggy
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 11:16am

quote:


Cliff Evans is'a good'a friend of mine... I know him - but'a woulden'a say he's a good'a friend


Joe - I don'a know where - you'a gettin' this'a shit'a from.

Anyone tried to call joe lately, see if he's still answering his phone or if it's been ceased?

  • posted by remote viewer
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 11:22am

Hey, it's not like we put the words in his mouth or anything.

Cliff Evans is a good friend but he's not a good friend, and then later maybe it's a different Cliff Evans. Hey I got a brother in law named Cliff Evans.
Priceless.

Is it possible that Joe is the new voice of the Voice For Working America?

I wonder how Joe and Cliff know each other - or don't know each other, as the case may be.

  • posted by siggy
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 11:31am

Will the real Cliff Evans please stand up? - priceless.

"which Cliff'a Evans are you talken'a 'bout - theres'a more than'a one'a Cliff Evans"

  • posted by lefkenny
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 1:27pm

And how did he know that HJF was fired and sued? Who told thim that information?

  • posted by remote viewer
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 2:03pm

...and that he's using the UFCW's web site! Gimme a break. I almost peed myself when I heard that one. Nobody except a highly placed UFCW dog would ever say a thing like that about my friend and colleague Finnamore because nobody except highly placed UFCW dogs believe such garbage.

  • posted by NIGHTS 046
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 3:23pm

quote:


In order to facilitate downloading , we're presenting the interview in a series of 13 mp3 clips


I hope by facilitate you mean from your end, because I find it a pain in the ass at mine

Any chance of giving an option, I would love to hear it in it's entirety as oposed to the short blurbs offerred.

P.S. Two thumbs up Mr. Finnamore

  • posted by siggy
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 5:19pm

quote:


I hope by facilitate you mean from your end, because I find it a pain in the ass at mine


I found that if you keep the links and your player open - side by side - the transition from one clip to the next can be as near simultaneous as it would be all in one embarrassing clump - smooth Joe, real smooth!

  • posted by sleK
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 7:12pm

quote:


Any chance of giving an option, I would love to hear it in it's entirety as oposed to the short blurbs offerred.


It's coming.

  • posted by hellraiser
  • Sat, Jan 22, 2005 9:18pm

YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF, MFD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Parts 1-7 and then I gotta WAIT for the rest? What's your angle, huh?? This is just bullshit!! I'm on Joe's side. That's just cheap man. Holding out the rest. Joe probably sounds really good on the second part and you MFDers just can't handle it. Damn you all. You too Finnamore!!

  • posted by remote viewer
  • Sun, Jan 23, 2005 12:36pm

The whole thing is now online. See the post at the top of this thread.

  • posted by hellraiser
  • Sun, Jan 23, 2005 2:04pm

quote:


posted by remote viewer:
The whole thing is now online. See the post at the top of this thread.


About damn time RV

Now can't you do something about video?? We're in 2005. Audio don't cut it.

I want to see those honking seagulls circling around Joe as he speaks to Finn. He's standing there on a giant pile of 'legal' landfill, chatting on his cell. Then he starts to choke thinking about the article, his body slowly collapsing onto the pile of garbage, tears forming in his eyes as he begs for Finn not to shoot him with another article, please. And the phone call ends in tears as the merciless Finn hovers over him (in spirit... with the gulls).

VIDEO DAMMIT!!! Oscar material!!

  • posted by NIGHTS 046
  • Sun, Jan 23, 2005 2:26pm

He shoots, he scores !

Step aside Michael Moore !

I have to download this so I can hear the whole thing without my laughter interrupting.

Is that the reason for posting it in bits.

quote:


Now can't you do something about video??


Perhaps we could dub it to something from Monty Python

  • posted by weiser
  • Sun, Jan 23, 2005 2:52pm

Yes a video would be a good tool for an interview. By actually seeing a person speak, you can see subtle clues as to how much truth is in her or his answers.

First Joe knows Cliff and then he doesn't know Cliff and then he's really not sure whether he knows Cliff, and then Cliff could actually be his brother-in-law for all he knows. That's really strange stuff.

I wonder who Joe is referring to when he mentions "we". He doesn't seem to be in this all by himself. He knows, Cliff and then he doesn't and then he's not sure. For all he knows, Cliff could be his brother-in-law.

How the heck does he know when Finnamore visited the hotel? He knows that a newspaper story (bad??) was slipped under somebody's door the day after the visit. Was this a live interview?

There's nothing mentioned about having to give the back section of the property to the City of Toronto for free. I'll bet you that takes a huge chunk out of Joe and his "partner(s')" (whomever he or they might be) profit bundle.

It's too bad that Joe couldn't tell us where the hell the owners are going to park if the back section is gonzo? Ain't that where the parking garage is?

What's the deal about ripping the front off the hotel that got Joe so pissed?

I've read elsewhere on this site that the CCWIPP has about $22 million in this place. I wonder if it's about to go down the Keele Street septic sewer?

The UFCW represents the employees at the Hotel. What the hell is it doing to save their jobs? Is it getting to the bottom of all this crap?

Yes, perhaps a video would have been great.

  • posted by remote viewer
  • Sun, Jan 23, 2005 4:26pm

Last time I looked at the Land Registry records the CCWIPP tab in this joint was $32 million (some to Ron Kelly's company and some of it to Royal Host REIT). CCWIPP's own financial statement for 2001 showed $25 million in mortgages and loans for this property.

My assessment of this wierd scene is that Joe is part of some desperate bid on the part of the CCWIPP boys to "exit" from this lame investment. By 2001, Ron the Pervert Kelly had bailed out on his loans leaving the boys holding onto 50% of the property and the boys needed to do something. So along comes Joe with a scheme to turn the place into something that could be sold off in bite sized chunks (the hotel/condo hybrid). When that didn't work out, "Joe Quip" came up with another plan.

The whole thing was based on the premise that the building could be converted to a condo without any "approval" problems from the City, that there would be a big demand for the units and that the workers - the UFCW members - would passively go off into the night.

No dice fellas. Too bad for you, this joint is right in the 'hood-and-the-life of so many that of some of the baddest shitdisturbers in the GTA.

Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and other rodents.

Nights and others who are wondering why the fragmented delilvery: We broke up the recording to make it easier on our many contributors and visitors who are on dial-up. Also, if you'd like to download clips to your iPod or cell - it might make that easier. Check it out - instead of your cell phone ringing a voice comes outta your pocket saying "You gonna hear from my lawyer..."

  • posted by sleK
  • Mon, Jan 24, 2005 4:53pm

I put up a page for all the files: Mondo Condo Unplugged

  • posted by yankeebythewater
  • Tue, Jan 25, 2005 4:19pm

Thank you, sleK, et al.

Somehow, 'he' did not understand what questions were being asked.

Upon entering the room for the interview, did Mr. Finnamore detect a jingle?

Quite certain more music will be played. It will not be music to your ears.

We all stay tuned

  • posted by hellraiser
  • Tue, Jan 25, 2005 5:03pm

Just reread the thread and wanted to comment on bits of Weiser's post.

quote:


How the heck does he know when Finnamore visited the hotel? He knows that a newspaper story (bad??) was slipped under somebody's door the day after the visit. Was this a live interview?


I think 'they' were trying to pinpoint when Finnamore came by in relation to his phonecall, and to when the Mondo stories (which spoke of a visit) were coming out. Copies were probably appearing at the hotel too.

As for bad newspaper stories. No idea. It's possible that a google search of the name 'Joe Ieradi' will turn up some very interesting and ugly stuff... but as is the case with Cliff Evans, you just never know. There could be 25 Joe Ieradi's in Canada. There aren't... but there could be. Make sense?

quote:


There's nothing mentioned about having to give the back section of the property to the City of Toronto for free. I'll bet you that takes a huge chunk out of Joe and his "partner(s')" (whomever he or they might be) profit bundle.


Not sure if the public (Finnamore included) knew about the road at the time of this interview. And I don't think it takes a huge chunk... it probably sinks the whole 'idea' (if it ever was serious in the first place). Nothing without a demolished building to start, will happen on that land.

quote:


What's the deal about ripping the front off the hotel that got Joe so pissed?


Well the staff was sold a story that the hotel would continue operation during conversion. Plans for the original hybrid had the pool (which fronts Keele) being moved and the Keele St. side now becoming the face/entrance. The scale of this 'move' (while technically operating a hotel) and the structural logic of it brought up tons of questions. It would be less a hassle to tear it down, build a new hotel and bring Ron Kelly back to run things. Personally I think something like that was the intent from the start.

Beautifying Toronto.

I'll leave you with this... Westmount promo material starts with this line...

Joe Ieradi's successful conversion of a North York hotel is a triumph - in ways you just wouldn't expect.

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