On June 22, 2023, we had our first in-person project tour in four years. Our hosts from Metrolinx, Carl Lewis, Program Sponsor Union Station, Kenneth Rose, Senior Manager, and Jason Lee, Union Station Sponsor, took us on a 90-minute tour of Union Station Projects (completed and under construction).
“It was amazing to see some interesting...and new changes to Union Station. The site is heavily used and is subject to constant construction and improvement. It was amazing to get great insights and perspectives from the Metrolinx team that hosted us,” said Trevor Anderson, GTTC Director.
"The amazing thing to me is that in spite of compact size and the relative small amount of money invested in this terminal the return in terms of daily use for commuters it is very impressive. Far greater than the Pearson International Airport terminals, making it the largest Transportation in Canada and among the great terminals of the world...all of this supported by aging infrastructure, in some cases approaching 100 years," commented Bill Jenkins, GTTC Treasurer.
"This facelift was badly needed and expertly shoehorned into place quietly and effectively with little fanfare or disruption to the daily operation. Credit to the men and women who made this happen," said Bill.
We met in the Great Hall, where Ken discussed the significant restoration that has been completed to preserve and maintain the original heritage of the station, as well as future plans for the public space.
Fun fact: Did you know that there are four typos in the names of the 27 Canadian cities carved in the walls of the Great Hall?
We then went over to the recently renovated Bay Concourse, which opened in 2021. The 62,000 square-foot space provides improved commuter amenities and easy connections to the train platforms, TTC subway transit and Toronto’s underground PATH system.
After that, we took a look at the construction of the new modernized open concept passenger concourse that will seamlessly connect Bay and York Streets, provide additional access points to and from the platform levels above and maintain connections into the Bay, York, and VIA concourses, Union Square and Scotiabank Arena.
Elysia Targa joined the tour and discussed the Union Station Enhancement Project (USEP) and the challenges of constructing a new concourse adjacent to an active station and rail corridor.
Pictured Above: East side of the Union Station Rail Corridor (USRC), showing the recent hi-rise developments on either side and the construction site trailers for USEP to the right (affectionately known as the trailer park.)
The last stop on the tour was a look at the new Union Station Bus Terminal, located on the second floor of the south tower of CIBC Square. The terminal opened on December 5, 2020, replacing the outdoor terminal that was previously located on the north side of the rail corridor.
After the tour we headed over to Scaddabush for lunch, where had the opportunity to catch up with our colleagues and discuss what we had learned on the tour.
