Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[Richard White]

I don't know why a few sections of Union Station - at least the Great Hall and the west wing waiting area - aren't open 24 hours, or at least until a few minutes after last UP Express and subway trains arrive and depart.

Simple, homeless people and operating costs. To keep any part of the station open 24 hours you would need increased security to prevent vagrants from sleeping in the station or using the facilities to bathe, you would need to heat the station, keep the lights on etc.

I can picture walking in there at 3 am and being asked for change by a person with a sleeping bag and coffee cup. There is also the issue of people cleaning themselves in the sinks (and not always clothed). The security office has moved to the York Concourse from the Great Hall. Given the nature of the building you would need dedicated security for the opened areas both male and female.

It is a nice idea but the things I mentioned cost money and for the amount of people who would use the station it would be akin to piling up stacks of hundreds, grabbing kerosene and lighting a match.

 

[interchange42]

A fresh coat of ceiling paint goes a long way. How long would it take? 1 day?
While the storefronts looks beautiful, that unfinished ceiling really bothers me

I bet it will be repainted overnight VERY soon. The old ceiling has been repaired from the York concourse to about the centre of the station ramp - where the currently open (or soon to open) stores are. One clearly wants to do the painting at the end.

Definitely agree that the ceiling needs to be painted.

Remember when Union was being rebuilt by Carillion? And the City wasn't happy with the way that was going and canceled the contract? Well, sorry to say that I was told there's still a mess being sorted out on some of those items, with the unpainted ceilings being caught up in that, and that's why they remain unpainted. It looks ugly, but until some lawyers have made their Christmas bonuses on this, nobody's paintin' nuthin'.

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[interchange42]

What do people think about the uniform signage?

1) Not a big fan of fonts that are close enough to Helvetica that they look like they're trying to be Helvetica but without paying the royalty (and therefore not getting the real, disciplined geometry). This lettering just looks like a cheap, knock-off not-a-real-font. They should have picked something non-fake-Helvetica, something real, something with style. Plus,
2) it's all (a bit) too big anyway.

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[Sandpit]

Simple, homeless people and operating costs. To keep any part of the station open 24 hours you would need increased security to prevent vagrants from sleeping in the station or using the facilities to bathe, you would need to heat the station, keep the lights on etc.

I can picture walking in there at 3 am and being asked for change by a person with a sleeping bag and coffee cup. There is also the issue of people cleaning themselves in the sinks (and not always clothed). The security office has moved to the York Concourse from the Great Hall. Given the nature of the building you would need dedicated security for the opened areas both male and female.

It is a nice idea but the things I mentioned cost money and for the amount of people who would use the station it would be akin to piling up stacks of hundreds, grabbing kerosene and lighting a match.

I think the security issues have more to do with drunk people, vandals, and muggers than homeless people. Quite frankly, in winter, it's preferable to have the homeless sleep in the station than out in the cold. Plus people regularly sleep in airports without much issue. Why shouldn't train travelers get to do the same?

 

[mdrejhon]

Morning commute. Small percentage of eatablishments open now:

 

[crs1026]

I think the security issues have more to do with drunk people, vandals, and muggers than homeless people. Quite frankly, in winter, it's preferable to have the homeless sleep in the station than out in the cold. Plus people regularly sleep in airports without much issue. Why shouldn't train travelers get to do the same?

Well, really it's preferable for the homeless to sleep in proper shelters or (what a novel concept) suitable public housing. Having the train station double as a homeless shelter is not a very constructive civic policy. But yes, it beats having people sleep on sewer grates.

There is enough of an overlap between behavioural issues and security issues in the homeless that as a passenger I would feel more secure if homeless people were not encouraged to be there while I was sleeping on a bench waiting for my next train. I can understand why parts of Union Station might be closed in the off hours but if trains are arriving at 3 AM one would think there would be a waiting room made available for people who have to wait til the morning for connections.

I have been in Union Station often enough to have gained a fair bit of respect for the security people there. They do have to walk a fine line between accepting the range of behaviours that a public place attracts, and not allowing the facility to degenerate into a hangout for those with nowhere else to go. Overall, they are generally unobtrusive (but always present) and I have never experienced the kinds of power-tripping excesses that one hears about elsewhere (quite in contrast to the bank properties to the north, I might add). If they look grumpy at 3 AM, maybe it's because some of them were held on duty after normal quitting time to augment the reduced off-hours security presence. They probably just wanted to lock up and go home themselves.

- Paul

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Morning commute. Small percentage of eatablishments open now:

View attachment 129308 View attachment 129309 View attachment 129310 View attachment 129311 View attachment 129312

1. Look at those line-ups! I'm sure some of it is curiosity, but I wonder if they sustain, if it will negatively impact pedestrian flow.
2. Danish Pastry House look dangerous. As someone limiting their sugar intake I'm going to have to steer clear.

 

[torman404]

Amano kitchen busy over the lunch hour. Plenty of seating, and a dining room that is open "late" every day with reservations available on OpenTable.

 

[adHominem]

I can confirm that the Danish Pastry House was still doing a brisk trade in the early afternoon, that their cinnamon danish things are very good, and that I'm glad I don't work closer by because I'd be so, so overweight.

 

[Amare]

My mouth is drooling just looking at Danish Pastry House, I've heard nothing but great things about that shop.

 

[TOareaFan]

Amano kitchen busy over the lunch hour. Plenty of seating, and a dining room that is open "late" every day with reservations available on OpenTable.

View attachment 129330

This is the sort of place that might benefit from being indoors squeezed between the city and the ACC.......people coming from office towers to meet friends coming in on transit to meet and eat before attending an event now have a natural meeting place.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

1) Not a big fan of fonts that are close enough to Helvetica that they look like they're trying to be Helvetica but without paying the royalty (and therefore not getting the real, disciplined geometry). This lettering just looks like a cheap, knock-off not-a-real-font. They should have picked something non-fake-Helvetica, something real, something with style. Plus,
2) it's all (a bit) too big anyway.

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I am curious as to who handled the design and branding - the same folks that gave us the barium X-Ray intestines logo?

AoD

 

[Le Gique]

I can confirm that the Danish Pastry House was still doing a brisk trade in the early afternoon, that their cinnamon danish things are very good...

See what they did here...? Tweet

 

[mdrejhon]

I decided to delay my commute. Ha.

I arrived at 545pm, people started coming in after I took pics. Half full now at 6:0ppm and it is a relaxing corner at Union. Taste of things to come.

 

[Student99]

I decided to delay my commute. Ha.

So... How was the actual food?! Worth a repeat visit?