Union Station renovations further delayed and over budget
Doesn't it kind of feel like the construction at Union Station should be done by now?
Whether you're there 10 times a week as part of your commute or once in a blue moon to take the train, it's hard not to wonder.
The busy transportation hub has been a mess of barriers, hard hats, and pedestrian detours for years now, leading some to wonder if it will ever not be under construction again.
I have no memories of Union Station not under intense construction. #topoli pic.twitter.com/yMtuxrSTKn
— Michael Wheeler (@michaelcwheeler) November 29, 2017
According to a draft city report recently obtained by the Toronto Star, the end is now in sight.
Renovations on the Bay Concourse and lower retail levels will finally be complete by late 2018 if all goes as planned, leaving Union Station a new-and-improved version of its older, stuffier self.
Or not. I mean, construction was actually supposed to have wrapped up three years ago, in 2015 for a price tag of $640 million. The city pushed the renovation project's deadline back to early 2018 after a series of delays and contractor disputes.
CITY OF TORONTO: "use public transit! It's the better way!"
— The_Road_Guy (@The_Road_Guy) January 3, 2018
ALSO CITY OF TORONTO: *keeps Union Station in constant state of construction for 15 years rendering it impassable for large crowds* pic.twitter.com/QhezWXjCmU
Now, city officials say the project will be take another eight to twelve months to complete.
"City staff have made clear in their report that the increased costs and further delays at Union Station are largely due to changes triggered by Metrolinx," said Mayor John Tory in a statement.
"While I agree that these changes are necessary and will ultimately enable RER and SmartTrack, I won't accept Toronto taxpayers footing the bill for the resulting cost increases."
Union Station is now expected to be ready in late 2018 for a grand total of $823.5 million – about $22.8 million more than the city's last estimate.
