[URBAN NOTE] "Union Station makeover finally a GO"

[rfmcdonald]

I quite like Union Station, not only for its architecture but for its central role in Toronto's passenger rail and subway networks. Renovating it is a good thing.

Almost nine years after the City of Toronto took over Union Station, the money has finally been found to carry out a $640 million revamp of the landmark transportation hub.

By early next year, major work will be underway to transform the building into a more commuter-friendly place with larger concourses, a major underground retail mall and new head office for GO Transit in the west wing.

The project is to be completed by 2015.

One of the first jobs is to build a new PATH tunnel under York St. north to Wellington St., which commuters will use while work goes on to refurbish the GO concourse and triple the space to 122,000 square feet, vastly improving pedestrian flow.

Yesterday, the federal government announced it would chip in $133 million, on top of $172 million from the province, for a total of $305 million from the two governments.

"All of us who use the GO train and who use VIA Rail know how important Union Station is and know how much it is in need of revitalization and renovation, and the ability to handle more people," said federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

[. . .]

The announcement was made on the north side of Front St. with the station forming an impressive backdrop – but one that also showed signs of the building's neglect, with water-stained and mossy masonry clearly visible.

The renovation plans have the potential to turn the building into a transportation showpiece, with improvements to the subway, GO and VIA train as well as bus travel and a possible future rail link to Pearson International Airport.

Now I have to find the time--and, sadly, the money--to visit the TTC Transit Stuff store at the subway level.