Union Station’s massive renovation could be in trouble
The Star spent some time digging into the details of the city’s massive Union Station revitalization effort, and the news isn’t particularly good. Despite years of disruptions to train and subway passengers and the total excavation of a block of Front Street, the project is blowing its budget and struggling to meet deadlines.
The issue lies with Carillion Canada, a company hired to manage construction on the bulk of the $795 million renovation. Among other things, Carillion is supposed to be delivering a whole new concourse for the station, complete with a new GO Transit lobby and a shopping area. The Star story (which is very much worth reading) goes into quite bit of detail, but the essence of the situation is that city staff are dissatisfied with Carrillion’s progress. The company has repeatedly revised completion schedules, delaying the opening of the new GO concourse (originally scheduled for 2013) and throwing the renovation’s projected 2016 completion into doubt. It’s to the point where the city is considering finding another contractor. “We may decide to change the engine on the train,” Richard Coveduck, the city’s director of design and construction, told the Star. Also, the project’s estimated cost has increased. In late 2012, it was being pegged at $640 million.
Anyhow, we’re sure the renovation will be really nice—whenever it finishes up.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/union-stations-massive-renovation-trouble/&title=Union Station’s massive renovation could be in trouble&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/union-station-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_272346" align="alignnone" width="656"] Union Station, pre-renovation. (Image: Steve Harris)[/caption]
The Star spent some time digging into the details of the city's massive Union Station revitalization effort, and the news isn't particularly good. Despite years of disruptions to train and subway passengers and the total excavation of a block of Front Street, the project is blowing its budget and struggling to meet deadlines.
The issue lies with Carillion Canada, a company hired to manage construction on the bulk of the $795 million renovation. Among other things, Carillion is supposed to be delivering a whole new concourse for the station, complete with a new GO Transit lobby and a shopping area. The Star story (which is very much worth reading) goes into quite bit of detail, but the essence of the situation is that city staff are dissatisfied with Carrillion's progress. The company has repeatedly revised completion schedules, delaying the opening of the new GO concourse (originally scheduled for 2013) and throwing the renovation's projected 2016 completion into doubt. It's to the point where the city is considering finding another contractor. "We may decide to change the engine on the train," Richard Coveduck, the city's director of design and construction, told the Star. Also, the project's estimated cost has increased. In late 2012, it was being pegged at $640 million.
Anyhow, we're sure the renovation will be really nice—whenever it finishes up.){kind=link}
Why is Toronto so dumb-assed! The only taxed based construction project to come in on time and on budget was the UofT medical building! Why? The entire project was managed by a professional Quantity Survey-Project Manageent team
that is unfortunate as it will surely affect the overall reputation of Carrillion and influence future jobs
When I tell my grandkids that I remember how, back in the day, you could drive from one end of Front St to the other they laugh knowingly at my sentimental remenesence. And then when I try to tell them that the Gardiner Expressway used to be have all of it lanes open AT THE SAME TIME all of the way from the Don River to the 427 they just roll their eyes and tell me not to worry because Mayor John Tory Jr will have the downtown relief line open sometime in 2041 and that Toronto is still a world class city.