A brief interview with Noori Lalani, of the Lalani Group, about 335 Yonge Street

The Lalani Group doesn’t talk about the fire that burned down 335 Yonge Street, the former home of the Empress Hotel (and, more famously lately, Salad King).

The Lalanis didn’t return the Globe’s calls, or the Star’s calls, or the Post’s calls or the Sun’s calls, or Post City Magazines’ calls, or OpenFile’s calls. But for some reason—maybe because it’s been ten months now—Noori Lalani did answer the phone when I called at a number for him that was passed to me by a journalist friend, for this Grid feature about what’s happening now at the sites of some of Toronto’s biggest recent fires. We talked for a minute and a half. 

This is a transcript of that conversation:

Noori Lalani: Hello.

David Topping: Hi, I’m looking to speak to someone with the Lalani Group.

NL: Yes, speaking.

DT: Hi, my name’s David Topping, I’m a reporter calling. I’m writing a piece about how Toronto businesses and locations have recovered after significant fires, and I was looking for comment on 335 Yonge Street.

NL: Okay, we don’t have any retail, so we can’t give you a comment on that.

DT: Okay, I was actually mostly curious about what the plans for that site were.

NL: They’re at the moment not solidified. 

DT: They’re not solidified, okay. I was speaking with Kristyn Wong-Tam, the councillor, and she mentioned that there was a possibility of maybe like a—almost like a pedestrian mall–type thing in that location?

NL: Uh—I can’t comment on that at this point.

DT: Oh, okay. Are you able to give me any sort of information about it, or…

NL: Well, we’re gonna build there. We’re gonna build a new class-one building up there.

DT: Oh, so you mean, so it’ll be three-storeys, retail at ground floor…

NL: We don’t know what storeys; it’ll be a class-A building.

DT: Okay. What’s a class-A building, sorry?

NL: First-class building.

DT: Oh, okay. Got it. Okay. Do you mind if I ask who I’m speaking to?

NL: Noori Lalani.

DT: Oh, Noori, okay. Great.

NL: Okay?

DT: And you are the…what’s your position; are you the owner?

NL: Yes.

DT: Okay, great.

NL: Okay? Thanks.

DT: Okay, thanks very much. 

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Read my Grid feature online today or in print this week.