Calling Union Station a gateway to Toronto, Mayor David Miller unveiled the revitalization plan for Union Station in the heritage building’s Great Hall over the lunch hour.
Mayor Miller highlighted the three priorities that will guide the revitalization of Canada’s busiest transit hub, endorsed by the Union Station Revitalization Public Advisory Group: transportation, heritage and economic sustainability.
The City estimates that Union Station, which it acquired in 2000, will need approximately $176 million in state of good repair work over the next 20 years, an amount that has accumulated over the past 50 years. Over the next five years the City’s capital budget calls for it to inject $85 million in the 81 year old station. The rest of the financing is expected to come from a private sector partner, likely a pension plan.
Since 2000, the City has tried in vain to strike a public private partnership that would reduce the financial burden of revitalization on the public purse. However, deals have continued to fall through amid allegations of impropriety and community outcry at the prospect of turning over a storied public asset to private interests.
Although an entirely new process for tendering the Union Station contract will likely allay fears of the same backroom deals that were alleged in the past, Mayor Miller is hoping the new version of a Union Station P3 will pass muster with the community.
The P3 model Mayor Miller put forth would see the City, TTC, GO and VIA continue to operate the “public†and “transportation†realms of the station, while a private partner would be responsible for organizing and managing a “Best of Toronto” styled retail space. Mayor Miller said that because the public sector doesn’t have the skill sets to operate a “shopping mall,” this type of partnership will allow all parties to work to their strengths.
The retail portion of the plan will require digging the lower level of the station deeper than it currently is. The cost of digging, as well as the cost of other non-SoGR improvements, was not available. That information is expected to be made public when a report on the revitalization goes to Executive Committee next month.
Although Mayor Miller has consistently said that Union Station will remain in public hands, a specific governance structure has not been proposed. The City’s strength within a governance structure will be key to ensuring that this P3 doesn’t turn into a P6 (public partner pays; private partner profits.)
Until November 19, City staff will be seeking public input on the revitalization plan, which is available online (follow the previous link) and on display in Union Station’s Great Hall.
This announcement follows a June 27, 2007 unveiling of the restoration of an original window and skylight in Union Station’s west wing.
During the half-hour press conference Union Station turned off all public address announcements. Here’s hoping that all those scheduled on the 12:52 to Kingston made their train.
Photograph courtesy patisotagami.
5 comments
No plans for the train shed? It’s such a miserable thing …
The train shed (and the rail tracks in the Union Station Corridor, about Cherry to Strahan) belong to GO Transit. Go has started to repair the shed and there is some info on this on their www site. There are also plans for a new south passageway from Union Station to the new Telus Building beside the Air Canada Centre – this too is not a City project. The City ONLY owns the station building.
If we were ever to think of a Front St. transitway in the west, and restoring transit to Front St. in the core, how about a below-street level entry to Union Station for such transit? As there has been such great resistance to examining transit options to the Front St. Extension, like say, GO transit, there’s reason to be cynical about the odds of any Union Station work having enough forethought to leave room for transit on the north side of the station, which presumably was also involved with the Moving Toward 2011 plan from 1985, which suggested a B/D relief line subway under Front St., hence the CBC studios atop the building away from the rumble.
Ah, Caronto – home of the missed opportunities!
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a subway train system across the waterfront where a large portion of condominium developements are.And to just waste money on union station without a clear plan seems just wrong.In any case it is clear that the station has to be renovated but we have no money remember and besides there will be a vote to borrow more money for Joe Pantalones pet project the new “ballroom” automotive building renovation.I’m sure that project is way more important to Joe than a heritage site.Besides we wouldn’t want to piss off Joe would we?!
A couple of things:
There was a Reciprocal Agreement between the City and the Feds that would cement how the Station could be renovated/rejuvinated….alas I don’t think it has yet been signed. The City can’t do ANYTHING without that agreement signed. And the Feds won’t (or at least haven’t to my knowledge) agreed to sign it.
There was to be some minor zoning amendments made by Planning over the last 5 years so that the uses contemplated could actually be accommodated….I don’t think that has happened yet either.
So, until these two basic things are done this is yet another pipe dream.
Hope there’s no French judge on this committee.
And by the way, my two cents’ worth…we should be popping an 80 storey building on the top of the thing.