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

DSC said:
The Great Hall is a heritage space so repair means one needs to match original. Tiles originally came from this mine so replacements also should. I assume the tiles they used for Phase 1 did - and they do look great. If we had more/some $$ we would not be waiting.
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It's hard to match replacement stone with the original stone unless it comes from the same quarry. We're fortunate that the quarry still exists. I don't believe the Credit Valley quarry for the sandstone used in building the provincial legislature exists anymore.

Even if you can source stone from the original quarry, the newly quarried stone needs some time to weather or wear to match the old stone. But the process is completely worth it. The aesthetics can't be matched, and you're looking at a floor that could last a century.
 
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DSC said:
As I do every 6 months or so I asked the City about some of the unfinished parts of Union. Some updates:

Walks & Gardens Trust Artwork. This is the art piece to be installed in the (currently closed) walkway below the "Plaza", it is coming from Belgium. . " I'm happy to report that the "Flux" sculpture project is making progress and is scheduled to arrive in February 2024."

Plaza and the Jersey Barriers. "City staff are undertaking a comprehensive redesign of Union Station's plaza perimeter which will entail the installation of a blend of new steel bollards and custom-designed protective concrete blocks resulting in a significant aesthetic improvement as compared to the jersey barriers, which will be removed. The project construction is expected to occur in spring 2024. It's my understanding that damaged pavers need to be repaired and that best efforts will be made to have them folded into this project, but I cannot guarantee that will happen over the entire plaza area."

Great Hall: "I agree that the floor needs many marble tiles to be replaced and it's on the repair list, but not for this year. At this given time, I'm unable to confirm a date, but it's being discussed given that there are other competing projects. Once the tile project is approved to proceed, there will be a long lead time for ordering the tiles from a Tennessee mine."

The ceiling of the east-west link below the Great Hall. No word yet.

I should say that all of these items have been 'promised' as coming soon for several years so I am not sure we will actually see any of this but ....
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They must know your schedule; okay good for another 6 months of no progress.
 
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DSC said:
Plaza and the Jersey Barriers. "City staff are undertaking a comprehensive redesign of Union Station's plaza perimeter which will entail the installation of a blend of new steel bollards and custom-designed protective concrete blocks resulting in a significant aesthetic improvement as compared to the jersey barriers, which will be removed. The project construction is expected to occur in spring 2024. It's my understanding that damaged pavers need to be repaired and that best efforts will be made to have them folded into this project, but I cannot guarantee that will happen over the entire plaza area."
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Why do they make it so complicated. Just put some giant concrete flower potters. It’s not difficult yet they make it like it’s the most complex project ever (that’s without the scope creep).

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yrt+viva=1system said:
Why do they make it so complicated. Just put some giant concrete flower potters. It’s not difficult yet they make it like it’s the most complex project ever (that’s without the scope creep).

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Agree!! It’s the most ridiculous Toronto thing. Negligent planning & policy and def not a priority. The absolute lack of aesthetic charm that city staff & planners put out onto the streetscapes, to help create beautiful spaces is clearly evident. Planters. Garden beds. Permanent Art installations. Patios.
I’m talking downtown~Tourist spots. Lol. And not a quarter of a block & then nothing_which is also a TO thing. Can’t be budget. T.O’s had years of surplus. It’s just not a priority for them unfortunately. How hard is it to order 50/100 attractive planters for a downtown block? OR commission some interesting sculptured art by local artists. Not just one or two pieces, but many. Small towns & mid-level cities do this. Great big cities of the world do this.
I have no idea who’s in charge of that. What department? Chief City Planner? Parks & Rec? Big changes are desperately needed. Hopefully incoming with new attentive & ambitious councillors/mayor pushing for that. Cuz city staff seem not be fighting or encouraging that one bit.
 
I remember the process to make over "Union Plaza" that led to the problems they are trying to solve now. It was all about removing physical and visual barriers and turning the whole block into a sort of overgrown woonerf with pedestrians wandering at will like so many mighty moose.

These are from a 2011 presentation. What goes wrong when aspiration turns into ideology in urban designs and no one questions what could go wrong. There was a thread (Union Station: Front Street EA) and none of us pointed to a potential issue there or in this thread.

Union 2004.jpg


Union Plaza.jpg
 
CapitalSeven said:
I remember the process to make over "Union Plaza" that led to the problems they are trying to solve now. It was all about removing physical and visual barriers and turning the whole block into a sort of overgrown woonerf with pedestrians wandering at will like so many mighty moose.

These are from a 2011 presentation. What goes wrong when aspiration turns into ideology in urban designs and no one questions what could go wrong. There was a thread (Union Station: Front Street EA) and none of us pointed to a potential issue there or in this thread.

View attachment 503463

View attachment 503462
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The pre-Pan-Am Games remake of Front @ Union was "OK" though it could certainly have been better and should have included bus stops AT the station entrance not blocks away. The real disgrace was the knee-jerk reaction to add jersey barriers. Doing this for a couple of months MAY be understandable as a reaction to the Yonge St Van massacre but that was 2018! and replacing them with large planters was really a no-brainer and should have been done within 6 months. Like many Toronto things we make elaborate plans (or plan to make plans!) and then add bells & whistles to it so it gets delayed and the cost increases so we need more plans and updated and maybe even more elaborate plans etc etc
 
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DSC said:
The City actually had a tender call to make them about 8 years ago but they cancelled it before bids closed. I think due to $$s, or lack of them.
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So what you are saying is that the city cheapened out; self sabotaged the project and now we left with nothing to replace that fugly thing they call lighting.
 
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yrt+viva=1system said:
Why do they make it so complicated. Just put some giant concrete flower potters. It’s not difficult yet they make it like it’s the most complex project ever (that’s without the scope creep).

View attachment 503412
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Either that or paint them like the jersey barriers surrounding streetcar stops on King St downtown.
 
kotsy said:
Either that or paint them like the jersey barriers surrounding streetcar stops on King St downtown.
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Gotta disagree, the King St jersey barriers also look horrendous. We just need to stop utilizing temporary structures as permanent infrastructure.

Once we’ve proven the need for a barrier we should work on design and funding for a purpose built structure. This go for the bikes lanes on Adelaide and Richmond, they should be getting the Wellington treatment already tbh
 
DSC said:
As I do every 6 months or so I asked the City about some of the unfinished parts of Union. Some updates:

Walks & Gardens Trust Artwork. This is the art piece to be installed in the (currently closed) walkway below the "Plaza", it is coming from Belgium. . " I'm happy to report that the "Flux" sculpture project is making progress and is scheduled to arrive in February 2024."

Plaza and the Jersey Barriers. "City staff are undertaking a comprehensive redesign of Union Station's plaza perimeter which will entail the installation of a blend of new steel bollards and custom-designed protective concrete blocks resulting in a significant aesthetic improvement as compared to the jersey barriers, which will be removed. The project construction is expected to occur in spring 2024. It's my understanding that damaged pavers need to be repaired and that best efforts will be made to have them folded into this project, but I cannot guarantee that will happen over the entire plaza area."

Great Hall: "I agree that the floor needs many marble tiles to be replaced and it's on the repair list, but not for this year. At this given time, I'm unable to confirm a date, but it's being discussed given that there are other competing projects. Once the tile project is approved to proceed, there will be a long lead time for ordering the tiles from a Tennessee mine."

The ceiling of the east-west link below the Great Hall. No word yet.

I should say that all of these items have been 'promised' as coming soon for several years so I am not sure we will actually see any of this but ....
Click to expand...
don't forget about the wooden pole, installed in 2014

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