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

Le Gique said:
Yes, these have been open some weeks, and I wonder if they get much traffic yet. They are mostly useful for a walking trajectory between the York Promenade ;-) and the tunnels under the York/Front intersection.
Anyone have a clue how long away is an opening of the Front St moat east of these doors...?
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Richard White said:
They have been uncovered for over a month if I am not mistaken.
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DSC said:
they opened these doors about a month ago - they provide the only way to get into Union at the moment from the PATH path below Front/York
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timio said:
I walked through those doors mid-November.
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These specific doors will close again in the near future once Bondfield completes a majority of the York Street Moat Cover. This was in place so that there was still access to the small PATH tunnel and to Citigroup Place.
 
DatTranzitGuy said:
I know I already asked this but what will retail be like in the new concourse like what might there be? Like a small Tim Horton’s kiosk or maybe the return of Cinnabon maybe even a sandwich place like mr sub or subway. There’s gotta be something going in there when the bay concourse reopens right?
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The Bay Concourse will have a Tim Horton's beside the ticket wickets at the South end. Another small Kiosk will be in the Northeast part of the upper level, but yet to be tendered out. As far as the lower level of the Bay Concourse, mostly retail. An anchor tenant, but don't quote me on that, the "L C B O" will be underneath the VIA Concourse in the so called Fresh Market.

*highlight quotes.
 
Le Gique said:
Yes, these have been open some weeks, and I wonder if they get much traffic yet. They are mostly useful for a walking trajectory between the York Promenade ;-) and the tunnels under the York/Front intersection.
Anyone have a clue how long away is an opening of the Front St moat east of these doors...?
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I only discovered that a few months back, at least the tunnel running northwest under the York/Uni intersection. I even forget how I found it, but it was from looking for a coffee and donut stand (as opposed to full seated restaurant, I had a dog with me) in the northwest corner of the York Concourse. I saw only one other person using it, and that was from the other end where steps bring you up to street level. Obviously it connects onward north, but tunnel malls just aren't my thing. It's a handy shortcut to get under a busy and dangerous intersection instead of on it.
 
Toronto1834 said:
Today I noticed a door was in use directly connecting the York concourse to the Front Street moat. It is located near the temporary Tim Hortons. There are a few sets of doors at this location that were previously covered in hoarding.
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Would be great to see a picture.
 
^ Not a picture, but a map:
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IIRC, there's an entrance outside of Union Station on the Northwest corner from/on the moat. I suspect from what I recollect of the tunnel that it's been there for a few years, it's recent, but could have been built in the last decade. What *apparently* has changed is the access from within The Onion. It's really handy, especially if you're already below street level there, and in inclement weather. Finding it took me completely by surprise, and wondering how many other unheralded underground paths are there?

Addendum:
CONSTRUCTION FINALLY BEGINS
At the end of January 2011, construction workers closed the longstanding Harvey's restaurant at the western end of Union Station's Great Hall, so that work would begin on a major stairwell that could connect the Great Hall with the new York Street concourse. This two-level concourse, which would serve GO Transit passengers, would be larger than the current Bay concourse, and would be at the same level as Toronto's PATH network, and the mezzanine level of Union subway station, offering barrier-free access to both. The concourse would also connect with a new PATH tunnel running beneath York Street to an exit at the northern corner of University and York, with future PATH connections with the Royal York hotel and the Toronto Dominion complex at Wellington Street.

It's interesting to note that the original plans for Union Station called for two passageways to connect the concourses to the Great Hall, but were never built. The new design completes a variation of what was intended when the station was designed. [...]
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https://transit.toronto.on.ca/regional/2306.shtml
 
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union2pearson said:
The Bay Concourse will have a Tim Horton's beside the ticket wickets at the South end. Another small Kiosk will be in the Northeast part of the upper level, but yet to be tendered out. As far as the lower level of the Bay Concourse, mostly retail. An anchor tenant, but don't quote me on that, the "L C B O" will be underneath the VIA Concourse in the so called Fresh Market.

*highlight quotes.
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Let’s just hope Cinnabon will be one of the retailers in the new concourse also is there an official opening date for the market area I bet this year but I wonder when it will be
 
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That's an interesting shot if the 'centre moat tunnel" - I assume the 'work of art' that the City commissioned to celebrate the Walks and Gardens Trust is being mounted on one of the side walls - they issued a contract about a year ago to fabricate and install it. Looks like it could open fairly soon, though I will not start yet another "when is it opening' series of posts!
 
Leo_Chan said:
Was this tunnel built with cut and cover?
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probably as it was built when Union was built in the 1920s. Actually I think it would be better described as Cover as the cut was really the bank of the Lake (or had been) and the Plaza was built out so people could go directly from Front Street into what was really the 2nd floor of the new station.
 
On the retail mix of a future Bay Concourse, just note the branding of the existing Union Food Court. It ain’t called the York Concourse Food Court although of course anything can change.
BTW Anyone spotted the futuristic wall mural next to the new full-service Tim’s and near the hidden elevator? Union Station in 2050...
 
the lower level (what is pictured in the photo) was actually originally a taxi stand - today it's the pedestrian connection to the subway. In 1930 however Front street was congested and the Yonge Streetcar needed easy access to the station, so the idea was to separate the taxi stand and drop off facilities onto the lower level. Given that the station was originally designed in the 1910's, it would have actually been quite forward looking at the time to provide such a facility for private vehicles.
 
That centre moat was also the source of a lot of moaning and groaning when they originally bottlenecked traffic between the TTC and the York concourse, many UT'ers (myself included) were throwing our hands up saying "why isn't it done yet?! it would be a perfect bypass!"
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
That centre moat was also the source of a lot of moaning and groaning when they originally bottlenecked traffic between the TTC and the York concourse, many UT'ers (myself included) were throwing our hands up saying "why isn't it done yet?! it would be a perfect bypass!"
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Well when will it be done? Because it could relieve the leather shop bypass for those coming from the York concourse
 
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