oma tegude kaudu head ja halba karmat

Koosolek toimus majas kus suures saalis tilkus kolmes kohas katuse sulavett ja fuajee oli pooleldi täis ämbreid ja tünne.

EM juhatus kurtis, et EM üürimis sissetulek on vilets. Kes ometi sellist saali üüriks?

Ja nimelt kelle vastutus ongi maja korrashoid ja remont?

lihtsalt pika ärkamisega

31.jaanuari eesti keskuse projekti koosolekul mainiti, et Eesti maja müügist ei saa piisavalt raha uue eesti keskuse rajamiseks. Vaja on era investeeringuid. Miks ei kaaluta vôimalust kaasata erainvesteeringuid olemasoleva Eesti maja renoveerimiseks? Kes on need erainvesteerijad, kes on valmis oma raha kulutama Madissoni projekti tarbeks aga Eesti maja tarbeks mitte? Mis on see tegelik pôhjus, et Eesti maja on vaja nii kiiresti maha müüa ja ajada inimesed omavahel tülli?

November 11 2011 ma tegin EM Juhatusele ja ESK liikmetele ettekande ümber ja juurde ehitamise ideedest ja võimalustest misda lubati uurida. Ma esitan kogu informatsiooni peadselt mõlemes lehes. EM Esimees viimasel koosolekul järjrkordselt rääkis ebatõtt.

Plaanid mida ma EM Juhatusele esitasin olid küllalt tetailsed.Koosolekul rääkisime tarvidustest ja võimalikudest hindadest.
Kuna EM korrastamine ja ehitamine toimuks osade kaupa samm-sammult, nii et tegevus ei jääks seisma, siis hinnad oleneksid sellest missugune osa tuleb tegemisele ja millal. Osa hindadest tulevad EM juhatuse enda varemalt esitatud korrastamise ja ehitamise repordist. Lõpp hind oleneb sellest mida on võimalik ja soovitav läbi viia ja mis järjekorras. Terve hind oleks umbes $1.0 - $1.5 mil. mis oleks maksetav üle pikema ehitus aja. Raha projektile tuleks laenuna meie maa väärtusest. Raha jääks meile ja mitte Madisoni projektile.
Olen varemalt juba kirjalikult teatanud et mina ei soovi olla selle projekti arhitekt ega selle projekti ehitaja. Juhatusel tuleb leida keegi teine kes on võimeline seda tööd läbi viima.
Mina olen üle paljude aastate oma teadmisi, aega ja raha kinkinud selle lootusega et Eesti ühiiskond võiks veel palju aastaid korralikult Torontos tegutseda ja seda teha Eesti Majas, mis on tugev, terve ja igati sobiv Eesti ühiskonnale. Mul ei ole mingisuguseid isiklike kasupüüdvaid soove selle projektiga, vaid mul on ausad soovid ja ideed selle heaks kordaminekuks. Ma ei usu et Madisoni asukoht ja projekt oleks kuidagi moodi sobiv Eesti ühiskonna koduks.
Ma ei usu et kellelgi on öigust või põhjust mind solvata või minu isikut laimata.

Yes, Raivo did finally give me a letter inviting me onto the board. Even put in a kind note hoping I would accept. Which by the way I did. Then I heard there has been a board meeting... and I was not invited.

So, the board has started to reach out to our Estonian House community to ask what our needs would be at the Madison site.

WHY did they not ask us before the Madison project started. Asked us if we would be willing to pay for the roof or a new boiler. NOW they are finally reaching out to the current users of the Estonian house. A bit late... and now they just want to know what we need at Madison site. I think this is in reverse of what should have happened.
The Pinchin report was not as negative as our Board is. It clearly summarized the potential costs.

I have heard that some parents are excited by the "green roof" on the Madison project. believing their children will be frolicking on the roof.

Really the green roof is a city of toronto by-law for new construction but it does not imply that the roof is usable for your children to play on.
To make the green roof a play area would mean substation higher costs than just a green roof that is mandated by the city.

https://www.mindengross.com/do...)

The board should clarify this. Yes, or No?

'I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers'

Let me get this straight: little children will be playing on the roof of this building?

This sounds nuts! Wouldn't it be better to close off the courtyard in the front and let them out to play there? Or maybe it's public property and Madison doesn't own the courtyard?

Also, the sun only appears in the summer, the rest of the year the roof is in the shade.

With all this money they are planning to spend, 18 - 23 million or so, couldn't they design an inner playscape? Burger King does!
Confused.

Why Madison?
Due to a schedule conflict, I won’t be able to attend the Info Session on February 21st.
Here are some open questions for the community (apologies, if I’ve missed related information in the dozens of articles and opinion pieces online):
1. Why must we relocate to the Madison Site, and not another location in Toronto, near a Subway station (or planned Subway station)? Estonian House is sold, along with the 3 adjoining EFC houses. The proceeds ($12-$18M) could be used to purchase an existing building, partner with someone to buy part of an existing building, or lease a suitable property. (ECU can sell 11 Madison at a profit, and lease space in the new location, or at Tartu College)
2. Assuming that the 4 Orgs will not consider a change of direction at this time, why is that? The Madison Project is now at least “Plan C”, if not “Plan D”. I’m starting to believe that the collective mindset is “We’ve put so much time, effort and money into this, that we’re willing to overlook some serious shortcomings at the Madison Site in order to just get it done”.
3. When did the Board Members become aware of the constraints of the Madison Site? Constraints that I know of:
* 11 Madison being included in the West Annex Heritage Conservation District (https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs...
* Possibility that the 11 Madison backyard can not be fully built out;
* Requirement for an open public square in the middle of 9 Madison (City reserved above-grade easement to protect the TTC infrastructure?);
* Requirement for a public walkway through 9 Madison;
* Zoning height restriction at site of 12 or 16 meters.
Once aware of these constraints, shouldn’t the Members have come to the conclusion that the Madison Site is not a very good choice, and proceeded to reset and regroup?
4. Have the 4 Orgs retained Pinchin (or another reputable Engineering firm) to do the same Property Condition Assessment on 11 Madison (built ~1892) as was done on 958 Broadview? If so, please share the report with the community. If not, why hasn’t it been done/shared?
5. At the February 12th Special Meeting, in answer to a question about proposed revenue at the Madison Project, David Kalm indicated that the Estonian organizations would initially be charged rents at the same rates as currently charged at 958 Broadview (where rents are paid by EFC on behalf of most of the non-profit organizations). Isn’t doing the same thing over again, expecting a different result, a definition of insanity? In other words: If the rental revenue at 958 Broadview isn’t sufficient to make a profit now, how would the same rates result in profits at Madison? Have the current tenants at 958 Broadview (and other new tenants) signed letters of intent, indicating that they will relocate to Madison, and commit to paying market rates for space that they require? What are the projected revenue figures for Madison?
6. Why weren’t the Madison Site Plan concept boards displayed at the February 12th meeting, and why haven’t they posted online for all to view?
7. What is the maximum number of people that the Madison Centre can accomodate for a dinner event, keeping in mind that 958 Broadview can accommodate 455 people in 3 halls? Where will the tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, etc. be kept for large events? Where will the food be prepared and dishes washed?
8. Where will garbage/recycling be stored and then picked up? Where will rental furniture be delivered? Where will food service deliveries be made? Where is the service entrance?
9. How will passenger drop-offs/pickups be made on a relatively narrow one-way street with less than 150 feet of frontage?
10. What is happening with VEMU Phases 2&3? Are they integrated into the Estonian Centre project plans? http://www.vemu.ca/index.php/e...
Thank you!

This whole Madison Project is insane. We are relocating an entire ethnic community from a large Broadview footprint into a much smaller glass horseshoe Madison site. By the way, does the community know that whenever there are parades downtown (especially the Santa Claus Parade, they close down the one way Madison street at Lowther Ave.) I bet you the due diligence process missed this one.

What bothers me, is that none of the drawings for this Madison Project have any flag poles anywhere. Where are we going to wave the Estonian flag?
What bothers me even further....I hope that the due diligence will calculate the cost of daily window cleaning, since the amount of downtown soot will mark up those windows real good.
There are no guarantees with this singular Madison project, just as there are no guarantees with the Estonian House. But the financial risk to stay put is much more palatable than selling out to move into a glass cave, that will only enjoy the afternoon sun, on sunny days. Oh my God, does that mean that on extremely sunny days, we need to install blinds throughout the building????? Maybe we can issue sunglasses to all visitors as they enter this Estonian glass edifice.
So follow the money...who really wants to move to the Madison location? Is it really worth uprooting a community so that certain financial organizations can set up their own sustainability agendas?
Everybody talks about the future of our community (young and old), it's not the buildings that make a community, but the people. The current 4 orgs are blaming the old heritage Chester Public School building /Estonian House for poor community service, maybe it's not the fault of the building but the management.
When everybody visits Tallinn, they go to the Vanalinn (Old town) because it represents history, heritage and our roots. Every businessman wants a piece of the Vanalinn property.
The current 4 orgs are using the Madison project taken from a Hollywood movie script "If you build it they will come."
I gotta ask, what "they" are you referring to?
Head vabariigi aastapäeva Teile kõigile!

As I listen to everyone babble back and forth about parking; the size of the rooms; the location of the elevators etc… No one has asked the most pivotal question of all…where is all the money coming from?
The Resolution was clear: if the proceeds from the sale of EH are NOT sufficient to cover the cost of the project, then they can’t close the sale of EH nor proceed with the closing of 9 Madison. The closing is EH is potentially this coming spring 2018. Have they done their proper due diligence – NO. Have they shown that the funds from the sale of EH will cover the cost of the project – NO. So why are they proceeding?
Here is a realistic breakdown of cost that we know:
Sale of Esto House +
3 small adjacent properties 18,000,000 maximum
Siht 3 house -(3,000,000)
Purchase 9 Madison
-(1,000,000)
Purchase 11 Madison
-(3,000,000)
Consultant fees -(2,000,000) 10% of 22,000,000
Reimburse initial due diligence -( 750,000)
EHB loan -( 250,000)
Balance Available for Madison $8,000,000

Project Cost Base Plan A $23,000,000 sq. ft. 31,500
Balance Available $8,000,000
Short Fall: $15,000,000

Project Cost Contingency Plan B $18,000,000 sq. ft. 23,000
Balance Available $8,000,000
Short Fall:
$10,000,000

It is my speculation that the 4 Org’s came up with the Contingency Plan B because they already know that Base Plan A will not be financial viable. To come up with $15,000,000 would not go over well with the Madison crowd, so a Contingency Plan B was conceived. But what is Contingency Plan B – it is not what was initially promised to us back in April. Nor is it what was agreed to and voted on with respect to the Resolution. What it is Plan B? - renovated 11 Madison – a old house (not including the 4 storey back portion) and the first half of the 2 storey glass horseshoe.

What about the rest of the project? Well that is why they hired the fund raising consultant. So, just as the Shareholders have been duped with respect to the terms of the Resolution, the Madison people have been equally duped with respect to getting the best “bang for their buck”.

The only way to STOP this disaster train would be to go legal and apply for an injunction, but that would have to be done NOW. At this point it is no longer about one project vs. another, it is about financial debt…and unless Estonians have suddenly become extremely generous…it will be a huge debt.
Linda