Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[tnarduzzi]

According City of Toronto staff that I spoke to today in Bay:

The Bay concourse is slated to close and demolition begin during the first week of September. (By close they are referring to the remaining bit connecting to the TTC.) The remaining fittings are currently being removed. Hoardings will be installed isolating Bay concourse from the rest of Union and interior demolition will begin in preparation for the underpinning.​

Yet, as it stands the only other way to connect directly to the TTC is via the diversion/bypass near the old LCBO. The glass roof atriums might still be a long way off, but if you ask me they had better hurry up work on the Front Street Centre Moat... winter is coming.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Thanks - on another note - it would be interesting to see a stripped down Bay Concourse - I don't think there are public photos of that.

AoD

 

[tnarduzzi]

August 25, 2015.

A look over the paper on the doors in the Bay West Teamway. Here you can see the progress of the underpinning on the Bay Concourse.
- On the left you can see that the dig-down is done (Bay South/Blue Route), the columns are underpinned and complete, and structural slab is complete. Electrical and utility fit-out in progress.
- On the right (in the darkness) is the wall of a power substation/transformer room. This adjoins the south wall of the now closed Bay Concourse. From speaking with construction workers in the area, they are progressing with relocating this power room to an area where structural work is complete. Demolition of Bay Concourse coming soon.

Looking West in the connecting passage that links the York Concourse, the VIA concourse, and the (future) Bay Concourse.

Looking East in the connecting passage that links the York Concourse, the VIA concourse, and the (future) Bay Concourse.

Looking East through the door in the connecting passage hoarding. I believe the cross-member is supporting the area where structural work is not yet complete surrounding the Blue Route ramps (metal studs in distance).

 

[tnarduzzi]

Thanks - on another note - it would be interesting to see a stripped down Bay Concourse - I don't think there are public photos of that.

I will try my best however I do not have any official access. Can't make any promises.

If anybody official could ever get me inside Union on a media tour, city progress tour, or something like that please PM me. I would be forever grateful! (Architecture student with a keen eye for detail here.)

 

[mdrejhon]

I will try my best however I do not have any official access. Can't make any promises.

If anybody official could ever get me inside Union on a media tour, city progress tour, or something like that please PM me. I would be forever grateful! (Architecture student with a keen eye for detail here.)

You only need to start a wordpress blog, then post your updates there, you gather a number of regular readers, and eventually you start getting invited on media tours! I have a blog on computer hardware, and eventually, got invites to new product reveals... Steve Munro runs a blog and got invited to the media tours on the Union revitalization.

 

[Le Gique]

(By close they are referring to the remaining bit connecting to the TTC.)

Again, it's gonna be interesting to see how they close this accessible route without providing an immediate alternative that does not rely on the Bay Concourse.

No matter how that's done, as far as I can see a lot of folks are gonna be schlepping the long way round.

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Again, it's gonna be interesting to see how they close this accessible route without providing an immediate alternative that does not rely on the Bay Concourse.

No matter how that's done, as far as I can see a lot of folks are gonna be schlepping the long way round.

People can deal with closed concourses, construction diversions, noise, schlepping the long way round, but take away the coffee and you've got a commuter revolt on your hands!

GO sent out a note yesterday saying that "Coffee's coming!". Railroad Coffee Co, is open by the ticket counters, Balzac's is opening soon and Tim's is opening next month.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

People can deal with closed concourses, construction diversions, noise, schlepping the long way round, but take away the coffee and you've got a commuter revolt on your hands!

GO sent out a note yesterday saying that "Coffee's coming!". Railroad Coffee Co, is open by the ticket counters, Balzac's is opening soon and Tim's is opening next month.

What gets me is how they couldn't have ensured all these outlets are available on day one (if not the D-day of the Bay closure). The lack of coordination is appalling.

AoD

 

[tnarduzzi]

This is 100% conjecture:

I believe that the York Concourse lower retail is due to open within several months, the loading docks under the York Concourse are already operational and turned over to the City, the area just north of Bay South is structurally complete, the connecting passage at Bay South is complete and finished with hoardings for future openings to Bay Concourse.

Operationally I would anticipate a temporary (Blue Route 2.0) connection between the York/VIA connecting passage and Bay South connecting passage prior to opening of Bay Concourse. This would allow direct access between ACC/Bay South/Bay Teamway/York Concourse/VIA Concourse. I am speaking of the new east-west hallways at the south end of the concourses (circled in the attached diagram). There would be a grade change but this could be resolved with temporary ramps/hoardings.

From my experience a team of carpenters could have this hoarding constructed within a week. The slabs and finished spaces are all there just waiting... They could have this open within a week and it would greatly benefit wayfinding and navigation until construction necessitated its closure.

Just a thought...

EDIT: Further reason I suggest this is because if I am not mistaken, the ramps directly south of the VIA Concourse (exit to Union/ML/Ford Square) must be closed in the near future to facilitate the creation of the at-grade entrance to the new retail concourse. Establishing a Blue Route 2.0 prior to this date is essential. Given the amount of business in the new South Core area closing southern access to Union would be inadvisable.

 

[TOareaFan]

Coffee you say, you want coffee?

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Coffee you say, you want coffee?

View attachment 53585

Appropriate. Commuters are the ones getting railroaded here. I agree with Alvin 100%. The delay in closing the Bay concourse highlights how un-ready the York concourse was when it opened. People got a couple of months' reprieve - imagine if the Bay concourse had closed in the spring as planned and having no food outlets for several months.

 

[Jonny5]

Appropriate. Commuters are the ones getting railroaded here. I agree with Alvin 100%. The delay in closing the Bay concourse highlights how un-ready the York concourse was when it opened. People got a couple of months' reprieve - imagine if the Bay concourse had closed in the spring as planned and having no food outlets for several months.

Paradise! No more slobs stuffing their face with stinky food, spilling it everywhere, and leaving the trash only half inside the waste buckets on the train wall by the door, if they even bothered not to just dump it on the seat.

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Paradise! No more slobs stuffing their face with stinky food, spilling it everywhere, and leaving the trash only half inside the waste buckets on the train wall by the door, if they even bothered not to just dump it on the seat.

That's a function of people not caring one bit about being "litterbugs". People are still bringing food with them - they can pick up food at the outside market, or at other places on the way. Not to mention the mess of empty beer cans on trains arriving at Union just before a hockey, football or basketball game. People can and will still make a mess on public transit.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

That's a function of people not caring one bit about being "litterbugs". People are still bringing food with them - they can pick up food at the outside market, or at other places on the way. Not to mention the mess of empty beer cans on trains arriving at Union just before a hockey, football or basketball game. People can and will still make a mess on public transit.

Which is why fines against littering should be strictly and zealously enforced - and in the case of consuming booze on transit, a far heavier hammer should be brought to bear - I'd say hold them until the game is complete should be suitable punishment.

AoD

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Which is why fines against littering should be strictly and zealously enforced - and in the case of consuming booze on transit, a far heavier hammer should be brought to bear - I'd say hold them until the game is complete should be suitable punishment.

AoD

Agreed. There needs to be a fare and booze-checking blitz on trains arriving before evening games with actual penalties for offenders. Currently they know there's almost no checking so it's open season, or should I say open bar.