Toronto LNX Residences at Bloor and Dundas | 87.5m | 27s | Lormel Homes | Richmond Architects

[interchange42]

Designs are supposedly to be finalized by the end of this year and construction to begin sometime next year. But we've heard it all before..

Ideally, there should be a direct underground pedestrian tunnel connection between the GO-UPX station mezzanine and the mezzanine level in Dundas West subway station. Not sure how this would be accomplished without digging up Dundas Street West and Edna Ave (right after they finished replacing the streetcar tracks). The McDonald's would presumably be in the way and need to be removed.

But if they are only planning to take over part of the Crossways parking garage, with automated Presto gates, for only the east end of subway platforms, with a separated mezzanine, then passengers wanting to transfer onto a bus or streetcar would have to walk the entire subway platform length to the other end, and up to the mezzanine which of course would be absolutely ridiculous.

Yet, still, this is what I believe will be constructed. But fingers crossed until we see the preliminary designs.

I believe that they are planning on connecting to the east end of the subway platforms, not to the mezzanine at the west end. Digging a new connection that long would incur significantly higher costs, likely tripling the price. An eastern connection to the subway platforms accomplishes creating the second exit for Dundas West station, which every station, slowly, is getting for safety purposes, even if it isn't convenient for those transferring from the UPX or GO to streetcars and buses. I assume the majority of transfers would be heading to the subway line though, anyway.

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[Northern Light]

I believe that they are planning on connecting to the east end of the subway platforms, not to the mezzanine at the west end. Digging a new connection that long would incur significantly higher costs, likely tripling the price. An eastern connection to the subway platforms accomplishes creating the second exit for Dundas West station, which every station, slowly, is getting for safety purposes, even if it isn't convenient for those transferring from the UPX or GO to streetcars and buses. I assume the majority of transfers would be heading to the subway line though, anyway.

42

So far as I know this is still the case.

I did see a previous iteration of the conceptual design and it did run directly from the east end of the subway platforms.

I have no reason to believe this has changed, but I will concede my last look at the plans was quite awhile ago, so I can't say with certainty they have not.

 

[ProjectEnd]

IIRC there was a vision at one point about this going through the Crossway's garage. They were trying to create a strata agreement with the owners but that stalled a few years back and I never heard much about it again. There's probably some contemporaneous BlogTo or UT article about that from back in the day.

 

[pesto]

I guess I was hoping for an east-west pedestrian tunnel under Dundas West Street, connecting the subway station to these apartment buildings, at least something similar to what's at Dufferin, if only to discourage the jay walking that happens there regularly. I believe there have been traffic fatalities along this stretch in the past few years. But when I saw the TTC start re-doing the streetcar tracks earlier this year that's when I knew this building was likely only making an underground pedestrian connection on the east end of their property, if-whenever that happens.

 

[Jimto]

IIRC there was a vision at one point about this going through the Crossway's garage. They were trying to create a strata agreement with the owners but that stalled a few years back and I never heard much about it again. There's probably some contemporaneous BlogTo or UT article about that from back in the day.

I remember that as well. My memory - open to correction - is that the Crossways owners were happy but Metrolinx dragged their feet. Subsequently, Crossways was sold and all prior negotiations and discussions were moot.

 

[Amare]

I remember that as well. My memory - open to correction - is that the Crossways owners were happy but Metrolinx dragged their feet. Subsequently, Crossways was sold and all prior negotiations and discussions were moot.

Never heard that one before. For as long as I remembered, the Crossways owners never wanted the tunnel to go through their property. Metrolinx tried for years and years to negotiate, and since that went nowhere they expropriated. Thus why we're seeing some kind of "movement" finally happening.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Indeed, my understanding is Metrolinx ended up resorting to Expropriation, which has finally occurred. IIRC Metrolinx is saying early next year for construction start as of the last time the question was asked.

 

[Jimto]

UP Express Bloor West pedestrian tunnel in Toronto remains years away

Construction is yet to begin on the 270-metre-long project, which has been on the books since the opening of the Union Pearson Express line in June 2015.

www.toronto.com

Article from 2019.

Metrolinx definitely dropped the ball on this project and are trying to blame property owners for delays and forcing expropriation.

Let's hope, at the very least, they allow residents of the new building at 2376 Dundas to have direct access. That might even facilitate movement between the TTC and UPX. Otherwise, it's going to be another 2 -3 years before we see any tunnel.

Previous cost estimate for the tunnel was $23m. I wonder what it is now.

PS I can't find this project on the Metrolinx website!

 

[concrete_and_light]

I wish Metrolinx would expropriate more.

Under the Davenport Diamond bridge we're not going to get a connection between Antler and Lappin on the other side even though it would be a game changing connection for the neighbourhood to connect things together and an important connection for the Greenway and on the other side there is... a parking lot. And Metrolinx is now spending their energy defending why there isn't a connection when they could just be expropriating it and making it happen.

IMO every new transit project should come with a timeline for any property negotiations necessary to enable vital connections and if a deal can't be reached by the deadline then Metrolinx should automatically move to expropriation.

We shouldn't be waiting years for people to negotiate access through parking lots or parking garages as in this case. The government should absolutely use the power of expropriation to get it done.

 

[ProjectEnd]

 

[Jimto]

I wish Metrolinx would expropriate more.
....
We shouldn't be waiting years for people to negotiate access through parking lots or parking garages as in this case. The government should absolutely use the power of expropriation to get it done.

Agreed. Expropriation has become a dirty word simply because the agencies using it regard it as a last resort instead of incorporating it into their plans from the very beginning. Communications and negotiating with affected parties is often done badly, negotiations go nowhere, and then expropriation is used, at which point the affected parties contest it dragging the process out for years.

 

[ProjectEnd]

 

[ProjectEnd]

 

[A Torontonian Now]

Yesterday:

 

[Jimto]

Isn't it amazing how the addition of another tall building reduces the effect of the first one? But still the NIMBY'ists rage on about height.