TYSSE: York University Station | ?m | ?s | TTC | Foster + Partners

From the Sept. 24 TTC Commission Meeting:

York University Station (Arup & Foster) Conceptual Design:

http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Co...ber_24_2009/Reports/Toronto_York_Spadina2.pdf

AoD

 

^^ I'm actually amazed at York University Station. It's only a tiny bit excessive, but I think I could live with that.

 

Looks like York U is somewhat expensive (although I assume it will have high ridership?)

Cost and Schedule

The budget for construction of York University Station is $86 million. The current estimate
of construction costs for York University Station is $115 million.

The main impacts to the original estimate and current budget are:
• Escalation of construction costs during the period 2006-2008 higher than budgeted;
• High water table;
• Toronto Green Standard.

As design progresses, additional value engineering studies will be undertaken to mitigate
station costs. TYSSE and the station design consultant are currently working with York
University stakeholders to progress a mutually acceptable design that maximizes cost
savings and also maintains the basic integrity of the station design. If the project remains
over budget as design develops, additional funds will be provided from budget
contingencies.

The proposed project schedule reflects completion of preliminary design to 30% by
December 2009, with completion of design development to 100% in July 2010.
Substantial Completion is scheduled in November 2014.

 

The York station concerns me a bit. Despite being all the way under the road interesection, the passengers all have to exit to the west. Seems to me there should be an entrance to the east as well, so those that are going in that direction don't have to walk a long way past the station, and then double-back.

 

I particularly like how the York U. station breaks from the paint-by-numbers three-level layout (entry level above concourse level above platform level) in favour of something a little more adventurous. That said, it's a little surprising to see no underground connections to various campus buildings--I was under the impression that was part of the plan. Perhaps our British friends at Foster and Partners require reminding what it will feel like in February when the wind gusts across the common? It seems particularly odd to whinge about how the station faces the challenges of being "constrained" between existing facilities without in turn pointing out the opportunities to integrate cleanly with them.

 

There currently isn't anything to the east, and campus is actively expanding at the west end of campus. I don't see the lack of an east entrance as a real problem.

 

There's a huge building at the south-east corner of Fraser and York Blvd. And you don't think that parking lot at the northeast corner of Ian MacDonald and York will be developed? Presumably there will be development in that area.

 

The parking lot is developed! - that block consists of the Bennett building (with entrances on the west side) which is completely integrated into the parking structure on the east side. You can access the building from each level of the parking lot, and the parking lot serves Schluich and the theatres in Accolade E. and there is a waiting list for reserved parking spaces there. The Bennett building is where the registrar's office and student services is located i.e. large numbers of the administrators who deal with tuition, transcripts etc i.e. mission-critical, and I suspect that a lot of the servers etc. which run the university are actually housed there. The building/parking was only opened about 5ish years ago. Remember that York has huge expanses of land, and covered parking lots are actually a really huge deal as it is a commuter school. Pond Rd. parking lot/ Bennett building definitely isn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

The building to the S.E. is Schulich, which tries very hard to not be part of York campus In turn, we try hard to forget that it is there... although they have nice dining facilities. The entrance on that side is only on the Fraser/York corner - and knowing them they will run a dedicated shuttle! In reality, there is a covered walkway all along the southern edge of the commons, including Accolade E. and then they are straight across the road and into the building. I can't see it being a big deal and if it is, York administration would have advocated for them. Schulich have a lot of dedicated parking in the Pond Rd. parking lot which is probably a greater concern for them.

The next planned development in the new science building which will go up (I believe) on the parking lot to the south of Ottawa, just where it bends north, and the flat roofed building directly west of the roundabout on Ian MacDonald Blvd is being converted into a Health Sciences Research Centre - ribbon cutting before the end of the year. I expect the green spaces to the south of that building are to be built up next. The university just spent a whack of money making a landscape "feature" on the corner of Pond Rd. and Shoreham drive - they are definitely looking West atm.

 

With the York U station, they haven't addressed the problems with running into the existing tunnel network. How much is that going to inflate the price and slow construction down?

 

from the Excalibur online edition....forgive me if this was posted earlier - I haven't been following this too closely, didn't know that Norman Foster was involved....

York subway plans unveiled

Written by By Andrew Fletcher, Transit Reporter
Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Courtesy Of Toronto Transit Commission

As the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) prepares for the Spadina subway extension from
Downsview station to the York Region, designs for the York University station were recently unveiled.



The plan for the new York University station involves high-end architecture and will be designed by British-based company Foster + Partners.
York University station will be more advanced than other stations on the subway line because of Toronto’s push for green initiatives.
According to the plans, the station will feature a green roof that will allow for natural light to shine into the concourse of the station, where the ticket booth will be located, although
no natural light will reach track level.
Bud Purves, president of the York University Development Corporation (YUDC), the main body representing the university in the development and construction of the new station, talked about the importance of having green initiatives like natural light in the station.

The principle of what they are doing there is raising the station, and it will come out of the ground with a large windowed area that will bring light into the station,” said Purves.
He added that people generally respond better to natural, rather than artificial, lighting.

There will be two entrances to the station: one in the Harry W. Arthurs Common near the York Research Tower/Archives of Onatrio Building, and the other across the street from Accolade East.

The construction for York University station is expected to start by 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by 2015.
The station will be built using a cut and cover technique, and the subway platform will extend from under Schulich on a diagonal to the Archives of Ontario Building. The cut and cover technique involves cutting into the ground and then covering the top, and eliminates the need to tunnel underground.

One of the biggest concerns is that the construction of the station will limit the access of buses into the commons area.
“We are looking at ways to keep the bus loop open or [ . . . ] at other places to put the buses,” said Purves.
“What is important is to have access to the buses that is [as undisruptive] to the subway as possible.”
Some of the other elements of the station include public artwork, bicycle parking on the north end and a relatively column-free design to allow the interior space to be easy to move through.
Once the system is up and running, there are plans to remove all of the buses coming into the commons area to provide the campus with a cleaner, quieter space.

“What is interesting to me is that the design plan is to get rid of all of the buses, not just the TTC. All the buses are getting out of that area which is good for the commons, but everybody who is coming by bus is going to have to get off at a different subway station,” said Ed Drass, transit reporter with the Metro Toronto news.
The municipal, provincial and federal governments have equipped the TTC with an $86-million budget, but the current estimated cost of constructing the station is $115 million.

One of the main factors in the first approved budget is the need to follow the Toronto Green Development Standard (TGS). The TGS was approved late in ’08, and the standards
target construction projects that apply to the City of Toronto and create a need for green incentives.
Drass talked about the need for the TTC to stay under the original budget.
"Maybe getting a subway is enough without getting all of the fancy extras,” he said.
Once the extension is completed, the station is expected to be used by about 40,000 people on an average day.



- With files from the Toronto Star

 

from today's Daily Commercial News....

SUBWAY STATION Proj: 9080311-6

North York, Metro Toronto Reg ON PREPARING PLANS

York University Station, Spadina Subway extension, York University Provincial Archives Bldg, M3J
$80,000,000 est

Note: Tender for contractors to complete cut and cover for tunnels has been issued, report number 9104634. Arch is undertaking preliminary Station concept plans and design. An Information Session will be held by the Owner for interested Design/Build Contractors and Consortia December 4, 2009. INFORMATION is available at www.ttc.ca. Owner expects to issue a Prequalification of Design/build/Bid proposals for Consortia to complete Working drawings and Contract management June 2010 with Sheppard West Station, report number 9092088 and the 407 Transitway Station, report number 9092083. Individual Consortia will be awarded early 2010. Tender and construction schedules will be determined Spring, 2010. Further update early 2010.

Foster + Partners Riverside 22 Hester Road London SW11 4AN United Kingdom T +44 (0)20 7738 0455 F +44 (0)20 7738 1107 +44 (0)20 7738 1108

Project: proposed construction of a new subway station as part of the expansion of the Spadina subway line followed under report number 1309236. The building is anticipated to be situated at the east end of the Common area, between the York Lanes and Schulich School of Business and may be integrated within the York University Provincial Archives building. Opportunities to integrate entrances into adjacent York University buildings will be considered during future design phases.

Scope: 8,000 m²
Development: New
Category: Passenger terminals; Tunnels, subways; Retail, wholesale services

 

Some items of interest from the June 2 TTC Meeting:

York U Station
http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Co.../June_2_2010/Reports/_TYSSE_York_Universi.pdf

AoD

 

About this:

Was this "upset limit amount" increase expected and reasonable?

 

York University Station Open House Presentation Boards (TONS of new info and some new renderings/models):
http://www3.ttc.ca/PDF/About_the_TT...ty_Station_Open-House_Presentation_Boards.pdf

AoD

 

Wow, I know they are just artist's renderings and all, but this subway is going to be such a benefit to York U and its students when it is finished (which I am sure Ford will try and take credit for!).