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

[DSC]

Paramount Fine Foods says on their website that they are 'Coming Soon' to Union Station. Sorry, no details were given. Maybe this will become Nazem Kadri's 'go to' place.

Paramount Fine Foods are also apparently taking over the space just vacated by Spring Rolls on Front Street just west of the St Lawrence Market.

 

[Mr.Tang]

When is the roof over the tracks going to be finished? (ie. out from either side of the new glass trainshet portion)

 

[MetroMan]

Would love to see those ticket booths gone or replaced with something nicer. Preferably, the ticket booths would be in the VIA concourse, not in the Great Hall.

 

[tnarduzzi]

Would love to see those ticket booths gone or replaced with something nicer. Preferably, the ticket booths would be in the VIA concourse, not in the Great Hall.

I agree, somewhat... It is just that I have this fear that if all services are removed from the Great Hall it will no longer have purpose. Traditionally the Great Hall would be the room where a "journey began". I just hope some part of the final design pays respect to that.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Can someone direct me to the total project summary and timeline? This post has been going on since 2006 and it seems like its been nearly a decade since we've been working on this station. I'm sure it's been half that time, and that my perception is faulty, so looking at the project plan and timeline would help. Cheers.

 

[tnarduzzi]

Can someone direct me to the total project summary and timeline? This post has been going on since 2006 and it seems like its been nearly a decade since we've been working on this station. I'm sure it's been half that time, and that my perception is faulty, so looking at the project plan and timeline would help. Cheers.

Political planning on the Union revitalization dates back to 2000 when the City of Toronto purchased the station. (I was only 12 years old!) The Union Master Plan was released in 2004 which outlined the direction for the project. If I am not mistaken NORR was chosen as the architect in 2009 and construction pretty much started in 2010. However it is important to note that construction began before the design & structural drawings were completed. Numerous delays were since encountered. Project completion has been pushed back from 2015 to 2017. Carillion was not awarded final phase contract, City of Toronto instead chose new contractor, Bondfield, to complete the work. More information can be found here:

• http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=3de5962c8c3f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...dule-160-million-over-budget/article24967532/
• http://www.gotransit.com/unionstation/en/default.aspx
• https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20..._plagued_by_slow_progress_climbing_costs.html

EDIT: In case you are not too familiar with this project, I just also wanted to point out that in reality it is three different projects all happening simultaneously...

1. The City of Toronto Union Station Revitalization (This thread.)
2. The GO Transit/Metrolinx Train Shed & Track Improvements
3. The TTC Union Station Second Platform

 

[Admiral Beez]

Thanks for that info and clarify on the total station rebuild. It just seemed to me that the project starting with bus bays has been on for ages since they started the bus terminal.

 

[Le Gique]

Would love to see those ticket booths gone or replaced with something nicer. Preferably, the ticket booths would be in the VIA concourse, not in the Great Hall.

Apparently the Great Hall has/had an official name: Ticket Lobby.

Not sure what you'd envision for the hall, except of course not the dated design of kiosks along north and south.

The north side is set to be retail/commercial, presumably a long restaurant. VIA has dibs, if I understand correctly, to both sets of kiosks running along the south wall, but obviously needs only one set at this time.

Recall:

Hmm, seems broken; how about: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prince_of_Wales_at_the_official_opening_of_Union_Station.jpg

 

[Adjei]

What is project:

Union Station Trainshed Enhancement Project

"The Construction Manager General Contract (CMGC) prequalification for the Union Station Trainshed Enhancement Project was issued in October 2015 and the design consultant tender was posted in November 2015."

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...51203_BoardMtg_Capital_Projects_Update_EN.pdf

 

[tnarduzzi]

What is project: Union Station Trainshed Enhancement Project

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/thread...shed-replacement-track-upgrades-zeidler.3222/

 

[tnarduzzi]

Apparently the Great Hall has/had an official name: Ticket Lobby.

Not sure what you'd envision for the hall, except of course not the dated design of kiosks along north and south.

The north side is set to be retail/commercial, presumably a long restaurant. VIA has dibs, if I understand correctly, to both sets of kiosks running along the south wall, but obviously needs only one set at this time.

Recall:

Hmm, seems broken; how about: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prince_of_Wales_at_the_official_opening_of_Union_Station.jpg

Ooooooooooh you just got me thinking. I really REALLY hope they tear out that dated 70s crap (aka the current ticket kiosks) and replace them with hardwood kiosks circa the Prince-of-Wales picture you linked. I agree with you in the main premise here being that the ticketing operations for VIA belong in the Great Hall/Ticket Lobby.

 

[EnviroTO]

Thanks for that info and clarify on the total station rebuild. It just seemed to me that the project starting with bus bays has been on for ages since they started the bus terminal.

Speaking of bus terminal... That is another phase in planning, and a new LRT station.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Political planning on the Union revitalization dates back to 2000 when the City of Toronto purchased the station. (I was only 12 years old!) The Union Master Plan was released in 2004 which outlined the direction for the project. If I am not mistaken NORR was chosen as the architect in 2009 and construction pretty much started in 2010.

Don't forget Larry Tannenbaum's and Mel's Union Pearson Group episode in the early 2000s either.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/a-train-wreck-in-progress/article756672/

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

Apparently the Great Hall has/had an official name: Ticket Lobby.

Not sure what you'd envision for the hall, except of course not the dated design of kiosks along north and south.

The north side is set to be retail/commercial, presumably a long restaurant. VIA has dibs, if I understand correctly, to both sets of kiosks running along the south wall, but obviously needs only one set at this time.

That's what I envisioned. A long indoor patio on each side where the ticket booths are now, electronic kiosks scattered around and an information counter in the middle of the Great Hall which can also sell tickets to people who don't know how to use the kiosks. The bulky dated booths are ugly, take up too much space and look dead because only a fraction of them are ever used. I hope that they're taken out.

 

[DSC]

That's what I envisioned. A long indoor patio on each side where the ticket booths are now, electronic kiosks scattered around and an information counter in the middle of the Great Hall which can also sell tickets to people who don't know how to use the kiosks. The bulky dated booths are ugly, take up too much space and look dead because only a fraction of them are ever used. I hope that they're taken out.

Clearly the original station must have had LOTS of ticket windows - has anyone seen a photo of what they looked like? Were they in the same location? Of course, we now need far fewer as only VIA (and AMTRAK) tickets are sold here (OK, a few GO ones too during rush hours only) and many (most?) people now use e-tickets or buy them from machines.