Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup

Old island airport terminal moved to make way for tunnel construction
The port authority has been trying to find a suitor for the historic island airport terminal building

Workers had to move aside a 73-year-old building to begin work on the future of Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport.

The historic airport terminal building was in the way of construction on the new pedestrian tunnel that will connect the airport with mainland Toronto.

The tunnel will run under Lake Ontario, allowing travellers to walk from the foot of Bathurst St. to the airport.

“Right now we’re just moving it to the other side of the island to make room for some of the construction related to the tunnel,” said Suzanna Birchwood, spokeswoman for the Toronto Port Authority.

The blue and white terminal was built in 1938-39 to serve airport passengers. After a similar terminal was demolished at Pearson airport in the 1960s, this is believed to be the last surviving building of its kind in Toronto.

The building’s fate has been up in the air since July 2011, when it was formally decommissioned. The port authority has been trying to find a suitor for the historic property.

“We are looking to make sure it’s properly used as a heritage building, whether it’s to move it or keep it on site and make it accessible long term,” said Birchwood.

She said they are looking for a partner interested in preserving the aviation heritage of the building.

“We haven’t had a final firm offer but we’re confident that there will be interest,” said Birchwood.

The building will sit on the south side of the airport property until a suitable partner is found.

The tunnel is expected to open in 2014.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article...nal-moved-to-make-way-for-tunnel-construction
 
Toronto (March 9, 2012) — The innovative partnership between the Toronto Port Authority and Forum Infrastructure Partners is designed to ensure that the pedestrian tunnel project comes in on time and on budget.

The tunnel will be open for business by Spring 2014, after an expected 25-month construction process. The total cost of the privately-funded construction is $82.5 million.

Key timelines in the construction process are as follows

March 2012
Preparatory work, including relocating city utilities to allow for the city’s water mains and tunnel shafts

April 2012
Drilling and excavation starts on mainland side. Excavation directly underground to a depth of 100 feet

May 2012
Tunnelling begins. Arrival of Canadian-made tunnel boring machines for the tunnel crown

February 2013
Tunnelling breakthrough to the island side

March 2013
Installation of city mains

April 2013
Mainland structure starts

June/July 2013
Completion of the tunnel skeleton

August 2013
Island-side atrium completed

February;2014
Mainland pavilion exterior completed

April 2014
Completed installation of city mains

http://www.torontoport.com/Airport/.../Tunnel-Schedule---On-Time-and-On-Budget.aspx
 
Automation Gallery said:
Old island airport terminal moved to make way for tunnel construction
The port authority has been trying to find a suitor for the historic island airport terminal building

Workers had to move aside a 73-year-old building to begin work on the future of Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport.

The historic airport terminal building was in the way of construction on the new pedestrian tunnel that will connect the airport with mainland Toronto.

The tunnel will run under Lake Ontario, allowing travellers to walk from the foot of Bathurst St. to the airport.

“Right now we’re just moving it to the other side of the island to make room for some of the construction related to the tunnel,” said Suzanna Birchwood, spokeswoman for the Toronto Port Authority.

The blue and white terminal was built in 1938-39 to serve airport passengers. After a similar terminal was demolished at Pearson airport in the 1960s, this is believed to be the last surviving building of its kind in Toronto.

The building’s fate has been up in the air since July 2011, when it was formally decommissioned. The port authority has been trying to find a suitor for the historic property.

“We are looking to make sure it’s properly used as a heritage building, whether it’s to move it or keep it on site and make it accessible long term,” said Birchwood.

She said they are looking for a partner interested in preserving the aviation heritage of the building.

“We haven’t had a final firm offer but we’re confident that there will be interest,” said Birchwood.

The building will sit on the south side of the airport property until a suitable partner is found.

The tunnel is expected to open in 2014.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article...nal-moved-to-make-way-for-tunnel-construction
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Maybe I am reading way too much into the wording but the the words "We haven’t had a final firm offer ..." kinda make it sound they are looking for someone to give them something tangible (like cash) for this rather than just a home for the building. I hope not.
 
sjc said:
I guess the Druxy's is gone. Are there any restaurants at all at the airport now?
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The Druxy's left last year. A new snack bar has opened in the lower level of the new terminal on the public side of the check-in kiosks.
 
sjc said:
Not sure how deep the channel is -- you wouldn't want ships with a deep draft scraping the top of the tunnel.
Click to expand...

The slip is dredged every year. Any tunnel window would be covered in muck within a week.
 
Any tunnel window would be covered in muck within a week.
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Even if it wasn't covered with muck, the "aquatic view" would be a view of the bottom of Toronto Harbour.

In other news,
http://www.environmental-expert.com...s-first-biofuel-powered-revenue-flight-286488
TORONTO -- In mid-April, Porter Airlines plans to use one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliners to conduct the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada. On February 9, 2012, in preparation for Porter's upcoming flight, a Bombardier Q400 turboprop test aircraft became the first aircraft in Canada to fly on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D7566 bio-derived jet fuel, which was recently certified.

'We are timing our biofuel-powered flight close to Earth Day to emphasize the contribution that biofuels are expected to make in helping the aviation industry meet its targeted reduction in emissions,' said Robert Deluce.....Porter's biofuel-powered revenue flight will utilize a 50/50 blend of biofuel with Jet A1 fuel. The biofuel portion is derived from the oilseed crop, Camelina sativa* (49 per cent) and Brassica carinata* (one per cent).
Click to expand...
This is the sort of thing that could give some improved credibility to the alternative fuel industry. People need to see some practical applications that biofuels are just as good as "real" fuel.

On the tunnel issue, it looks like Adam Vaughan is doing his best to throw roadblocks into the process. Toronto/East York Community council has voted to place a number of conditions on the development of the new parking lot/taxi stand/construction staging area.
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/c...tunnel-hinges-on-complying-with-city-s-orders
Local councillor Adam Vaughan brought forward a motion to require the airport comply with a range of demands the city had made over the years before the site plan would be released.

Among the conditions: that traffic calming and red light cameras at Queen's Quay and Eireann Quay be installed immediately; that a student pickup zone be created at the north end of Eireann Quay; that the construction management plan be submitted, and include work that's already been done on the site; and make certain the local community will have access to the short stay spaces. He also demanded tree plantings at the east end of the site.
Click to expand...
 
sjc said:
On the tunnel issue, it looks like Adam Vaughan is doing his best to throw roadblocks into the process. Toronto/East York Community council has voted to place a number of conditions on the development of the new parking lot/taxi stand/construction staging area.
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/c...tunnel-hinges-on-complying-with-city-s-orders
Click to expand...

There seems to be an agenda in your post that isn't supported by the facts in the article. For one, it sounds like the TPA has been unwilling to abide by the conditions it has negotiated for itself in previous dealings with the City, and now the City is requiring compliance before granting permits. In other words, the TPA has agreed to the imposition of any "roadblocks". Also, Community Council's vote was unanimous, so why does Vaughan have to wear the decision, and not the entire Community Council?
 
TOareaFan said:
Maybe I am reading way too much into the wording but the the words "We haven’t had a final firm offer ..." kinda make it sound they are looking for someone to give them something tangible (like cash) for this rather than just a home for the building. I hope not.
Click to expand...

For what I know the TPA is doing it's best to be a good corporate citizen and are also bound to find a suitable use for a registered Heritage Building. Before they began moving it they had to remove the asbestos from it - I think there was an under-estimate on Downsviews part regarding the costs of moving the structure - they want it off their hands without being on the hook for destroying it - and rightly so...
 
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