[AlvinofDiaspar]

*But where will the masses sit?!?*

It's ridiculous that we took as long as we did to come up with wheat we did. Perhaps they can't bury the bases deeply enough because of the station below.

They probably can't - but it took them 6 years to go from jersey barriers to blocks? What did they do? Invent concrete from scratch and rediscovered kinematics?

AoD

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

But in Toronto, we like our barriers scatter around like discarded Lego pieces, giving pedestrians an organic street level experience to traverse around... /s

 

[nightstreak]

How we’re upgrading platforms at Union Station

Improvements at platform and concourse levels will help reduce crowding.

www.metrolinx.com

Do we know when the rail corridor improvements are expected to be completed?

This very helpful Metrolinx timeline seems to have misplaced the important part. I'm sure it's just a glitch.

And did it really start in 2022 or was this behind by several years like everything else at Union?

 

[generalcanada]

Do we know when the rail corridor improvements are expected to be completed?

This very helpful Metrolinx timeline seems to have misplaced the important part. I'm sure it's just a glitch.

View attachment 642381

And did it really start in 2022 or was this behind by several years like everything else at Union?

Project Alliance Agreement Finalized for the Union Station Enhancement Project

With Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO) support, Metrolinx (MX) has signed a Project Alliance Agreement with ONTrack Alliance to deliver the Union Station Enhancement Project.

www.infrastructureontario.ca

"fall 2025" probably more like fall 2026

 

[nightstreak]

Project Alliance Agreement Finalized for the Union Station Enhancement Project

With Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO) support, Metrolinx (MX) has signed a Project Alliance Agreement with ONTrack Alliance to deliver the Union Station Enhancement Project.

www.infrastructureontario.ca

"fall 2025" probably more like fall 2026

2025 Ha! I would have a hard time believing Fall of 2026 either. The corridor is a disastrous mess of concrete and twister rebar when I looked into the site from the CIBC rail deck park last month. In the station under the tracks, it doesn't look like work has even started on the Bremner concourse.

Does anyone have a rendering of what the Bremner concourse will look like? I'm having a hard time picturing where the entrance that you used to go from the plaza outside Scotiabank will go. There was a ramp there before that led to the hallway connecting the York and Bay concourses and the Via Rail in the middle. But then the entrance from inside Scotiabank Arena is steps below the Bay Concourse. Is that whole thing going to connect level?

 

[reinventingthewheel]

In the station under the tracks, it doesn't look like work has even started on the Bremner concourse.

It’s long been under construction beneath what you see poured overtop today.

Does anyone have a rendering of what the Bremner concourse will look like?

This has already been circulated enough here so I don’t want to repost. Take a look in the application here. Notable Supporting Documentation:

• Block Context Plan
• Arch Plans 10 of 10 (renderings and perspectives)
• Arch Plans 4 of 10 (concourse and lower concourse reference plans, beware they are overwhelmingly detailed)

I'm having a hard time picturing what the entrance that you used to go from the plaza outside Scotiabank.

See the context plan mentioned above.

 

[WB62]

There was a ramp there before that led to the hallway connecting the York and Bay concourses and the Via Rail in the middle.

This is what the Union Plaza entrance will look like, the point of view from this rendering is the Bremner Concourse itself:

The upper level seen on the far right side is the current hallway behind the VIA Concourse, the south wall will be completely opened up and that area will be integrated into the new concourse:

This is what this area will look like once finished, taken from the same perspective as the image above (Don't mind the awful photo):

The lower level seen on the far right side is the Union Market entrance. The new temporary entrance to the market level on the far south side of the VIA Concourse will be demolished and the stairs will instead lead to the area pictured in the first image on the post:

This staircase was originally built to lead to Union Plaza, but obviously the scope changed massively with USEP, so the temporary switchback was placed in the middle:

A older version of this rendering showing a earlier version of the Bremner Concourse shows the doors that used to lead to the now-demolished ramp, which is on the far left side:

But then the entrance from inside Scotiabank Arena is steps below the Bay Concourse. Is that whole thing going to connect level?

No the eastern portion of the Bremner Concourse is lower than the Bay Concourse, the elevation change will remain.

The current area between Bay and Scotiabank will be opened up and integrated into the new Bremner Concourse:

Here is a before and after of what the other side of this hallway will look like once the Bremner Concourse is open:

 

[nightstreak]

This is what the Union Plaza entrance will look like, the point of view from this rendering is the Bremner Concourse itself:

View attachment 642390

A older version of this rendering showing a earlier version of the Bremner Concourse shows the doors that used to lead to the now-demolished ramp, which is on the far left side:

View attachment 642402

The upper level seen on the far right side is the current hallway behind the VIA Concourse, the south wall will be completely opened up and that area will be integrated into the new concourse:

View attachment 642397

This is what this area will look like once finished, taken from the same perspective as the image above (Don't mind the awful photo):

View attachment 642407

The lower level seen on the far right side is the Union Market entrance. The new temporary entrance to the market level on the far south side of the VIA Concourse will be demolished and the stairs will instead lead to the area pictured in the first image on the post:

View attachment 642398

This staircase was originally built to lead to Union Plaza, but obviously the scope changed massively with USEP, so the temporary switchback was placed in the middle:

View attachment 642399


No the eastern portion of the Bremner Concourse is lower than the Bay Concourse, the elevation change will remain.

The current area between Bay and Scotiabank will be opened up and integrated into the new Bremner Concourse:

View attachment 642403

Here is a before and after of what the other side of this hallway will look like once the Bremner Concourse is open:

View attachment 642404View attachment 642405

Whoa! Award winning post of the thread. Thanks @Willybru21 . That was very detailed and helped me untangle the gaps in my idea of what's being built.
Also thanks to @reinventingthewheel for providing the relevant planning documents that I'll nerd out poring over.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

That's a lot of chonky walls being removed...

...looks like it will be St. Lawrence Market North timeline and a dog's age before it will all be said and done. >.<

 

[nightstreak]

Thanks to @Willybru21 's explanations, I've added labels and directions. This space is the lobby/arrival space when coming from Union Plaza from the left.

And I've identified where in the floor plan this rendering is located:

Context:

Detail:

A remaining question: Will the existing Scotiabank Arena atrium become one with the new South Concourse, or will it still be separated by a wall? If it's one wide concourse or if there is an escalator within the South Concourse that leads to the bridge over Bay Street, that'll solve the difficulty in getting to the bus station which is circuitous and difficult to explain to tourists or other lost souls.

 

[nightstreak]

Project Alliance Agreement Finalized for the Union Station Enhancement Project

With Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO) support, Metrolinx (MX) has signed a Project Alliance Agreement with ONTrack Alliance to deliver the Union Station Enhancement Project.

www.infrastructureontario.ca

"fall 2025" probably more like fall 2026

2025 Ha! I would have a hard time believing Fall of 2026 either. The corridor is a disastrous mess of concrete and twister rebar when I looked into the site from the CIBC rail deck park last month. In the station under the tracks, it doesn't look like work has even started on the Bremner concourse.

Update from today:

Yeah, no way this gets done in 5-7 months.

We're going to blow way past Infrastructure Ontario's estimate. There are years (plural) left on this project. I'm guessing 2027, the earliest.

 

[nightstreak]

Curious about how the new South Concourse will connect to Scotiabank Arena’s atrium, I went by again today and got a better look.

It appears that they’re building a passageway right to the platform where the escalator goes up to for the bridge to the GO Bus Terminal .

In the blueprint, there’s an escalator and stairs at the far east end of the new concourse adjacent to the one in Scotiabank Arena’s atrium.

Is anyone fluent in architectural drawings to understand what these scattered lines are? Does that represent a level above the current level?

Editing to add a view of that section of platform. To the left you can see an atrium with down stairs/escalator down. If the wall to Scotiabank Arena is cut there as it appears to be when I visited the site, passengers at platform level would simply walk through a passageway onto the landing that leads to the bridge over Bay Street.

 

[WB62]

Whoa! Award winning post of the thread. Thanks @Willybru21 . That was very detailed and helped me untangle the gaps in my idea of what's being built.

Thank you! Glad I could help

Curious about how the new South Concourse will connect to Scotiabank Arena’s atrium, I went by again today and got a better look.

It appears that they’re building a passageway right to the platform where the escalator goes up to for the bridge to the GO Bus Terminal .

In the blueprint, there’s an escalator and stairs at the far east end of the new concourse adjacent to the one in Scotiabank Arena’s atrium.

Is anyone fluent in architectural drawings to understand what these scattered lines are? Does that represent a level above the current level?

This isn’t the case, it’s not physically possible because that area of the concourse has tracks directly above it, the Scotiabank Atrium doesn’t, it’s open air.
The staircases and escalators you see in the blueprints go up to the future platforms 24-28.

If they were to build a walkway like what you’ve described, the tracks and platforms above the Bremner Concourse would need to be elevated one level above all the other tracks at Union, which would’ve definitely pushed this project beyond a 2020’s completion date…

A remaining question: Will the existing Scotiabank Arena atrium become one with the new South Concourse, or will it still be separated by a wall? If it's one wide concourse or if there is an escalator within the South Concourse that leads to the bridge over Bay Street, that'll solve the difficulty in getting to the bus station which is circuitous and difficult to explain to tourists or other lost souls.

The Atrium will still be a completely separate area from the Bremner Concourse, the current hallway will be removed and integrated fully into the concourse. The station itself will appear to be closer to the Arena since it’s enveloping the area around the current hallway.

In my map of Union Station Ive marked in red where the current Bay Concourse-Scotiabank Arena connection is. The Bremner Concourse is labelled G and the Arena is J:

 

[nightstreak]

@

This isn’t the case, it’s not physically possible because that area of the concourse has tracks directly above it, the Scotiabank Atrium doesn’t, it’s open air.
The staircases and escalators you see in the blueprints go up to the future platforms 24-28.

If they were to build a walkway like what you’ve described, the tracks and platforms above the Bremner Concourse would need to be elevated one level above all the other tracks at Union, which would’ve definitely pushed this project beyond a 2020’s completion date…

Having a closer look, the track bed and the bridge are at about the same level. The hole in the wall I see would be level with the Scotiabank Arena escalator landing near the bridge.

If you look closely, you can see the passageway here:

There's also another possibility: since there'll be a platform along the entire south edge, passengers would just walk along the platform over Bay Street to the CIBC building where they'd be at the upper GO Bus Station level.

I guess I'm just looking for a better connection to the buses from Union Station. Currently, it's circuitous and difficult to explain to people, The South Concourse will tie everything together and I'm sure signage will direct passengers more directly once everything is cleaned up.

View attachment 642845

I now understand your maps!! Thanks again.

Separate from this, everyone's favourite concrete blocks are back for more. There's a cut in the sidewalk for another block.

The west sidewalk in front of Union Station is laid and it looks like they're getting ready to switch the fences to work on the other side.

 

[WB62]

Having a closer look, the track bed and the bridge are at about the same level. The hole in the wall I see would be level with the Scotiabank Arena escalator landing near the bridge.

If you look closely, you can see the passageway here:

I’m not seeing that passageway in the architectural plans, I’d absolutely love a direct connection right there so I hope you’re right!

There's also another possibility: since there'll be a platform along the entire south edge, passengers would just walk along the platform over Bay Street to the CIBC building where they'd be at the upper GO Bus Station level.

This definitely isn’t happening, platform 28 ends west of Bay Street, nothing being built right now will connect directly to any of the CIBC Square buildings or Bay East Teamway, unfortunately