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

nightstreak said:
Whether they know what they're doing or not, the reality is that I can walk over to that space and see with my own eyes that it's still boarded up and has been for what, 15 years? So yes, I'm second guessing their competence. What space stays boarded up for over a decade before you realize you need to rethink your pitch, market and lease price expectations?

Maybe their long term plans aim for a grand two floor restaurant but that didn't preclude leasing the space in the interim to a wine bar or a bakery or splitting the space in two on a 5–10 year lease before proceeding to their ultimate goal for the space.
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If you were looking for a high end operator of a signature space in a complex that you were leasing out, and the restauranteur were likely to say to you "I'm not serving my salmon meuniere under lights that make it look spoiled, when will then lighting be fixed?!" and you were unable to answer that question since the City hasn't yet been able to tell you when either that or the frickin' floor will be fixed...

...then you wouldn't bother pushing to lease the space until you could answer those questions.

So maybe Osmington, (also as evidenced by the incredible amount of work they have done to lease out and effectively curate a very interesting collection of foodservice vendors in a wide range of categories gradually throughout the rest of the station), know what they are doing! If Union Station looked like the basement at Aura, then I would be worried, but it has become a vibrant, highly-trafficked foodservice destination. What more evidence do you want that they are on top of this? Unless of course you are adverse to considering any outside factors beyond that you simply want something.

42
 
nightstreak said:
Whether they know what they're doing or not, the reality is that I can walk over to that space and see with my own eyes that it's still boarded up and has been for what, 15 years?
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9 years:

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

Anybody know what this part of the Platform Safety Report is about? Are they talking about areas where the train (or parts of the train such as the steps) overhang the platform edge? -- Action: Trim certain sections of select platforms within the Union Station train shed where steps overhang...
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca

I believe they had a tenant, but with that fell through sometime after 2020. Since most of that area wasn't accessible to the general public it's not like any floor space is lost. Until they get a new tenant, I'd expect it to remain empty. Perhaps a rethink of the space is necessary for the times, but they may be doing that behind the scenes.
 
max said:
I believe they had a tenant, but with that fell through sometime after 2020. Since most of that area wasn't accessible to the general public it's not like any floor space is lost. Until they get a new tenant, I'd expect it to remain empty. Perhaps a rethink of the space is necessary for the times, but they may be doing that behind the scenes.
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Losing that tenant could have been from the outstanding issues with the Great Hall, or complications with Covid at the time, or both. Hard to say! I just think the real culprit here is the City, whose inability to wrap up certain jobs inside in a timely manner, whose lack of coordination on wayfinding throughout the station, and whose inept handling of what should have been high quality bollards outside, shows how utterly lackadaisical their approach has been to the station as a whole. So we're still waiting for a cool restaurant in the Great Hall, that I want to enjoy someday too, and for sure Osmington wants to be able to lease that space.

42
 
interchange42 said:
Losing that tenant could have been from the outstanding issues with the Great Hall, or complications with Covid at the time, or both. Hard to say! I just think the real culprit here is the City, whose inability to wrap up certain jobs inside in a timely manner, whose lack of coordination on wayfinding throughout the station, and whose inept handling of what should have been high quality bollards outside, shows how utterly lackadaisical their approach has been to the station as a whole. So we're still waiting for a cool restaurant in the Great Hall, that I want to enjoy someday too, and for sure Osmington wants to be able to lease that space.

42
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It could also be construction related. If and when they work on the floors and lighting, it may impact business for any new tenants.

It could be they are trying to coordinate with the City. If it's anything like public works this could take awhile.
 
max said:
9 years:

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

Anybody know what this part of the Platform Safety Report is about? Are they talking about areas where the train (or parts of the train such as the steps) overhang the platform edge? -- Action: Trim certain sections of select platforms within the Union Station train shed where steps overhang...
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca

I believe they had a tenant, but with that fell through sometime after 2020. Since most of that area wasn't accessible to the general public it's not like any floor space is lost. Until they get a new tenant, I'd expect it to remain empty. Perhaps a rethink of the space is necessary for the times, but they may be doing that behind the scenes.
Click to expand...

I have to say, I'm blown away by this. For some reason I thought I remembered that drying wall being there since like 2010 or longer. 9 years is still pretty sad though. That dry wall has been there 1/5th of my life.
 
A ramp was added to one of the units in the Front Street Promenade.

IMG_0995.jpeg


If I had to guess, I assume Union Security is moving into this unit (43) from the one they’re currently in (37), which will then be leased out to a retailer:

IMG_0996.jpeg
 
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Willybru21 said:
A ramp was added to one of the units in the Front Street Promenade.

View attachment 658692

If I has to guess, I assume Union Security is moving into this unit (43) from the one they’re currently in (37), which will then be leased out to a retailer:

View attachment 658693
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Yeah, that security office is in a way too high profile spot as passengers walk to Front Street from the York Concourse. A blank wall and security office is what they see now. That's such good exposure wasted. Hopefully another restaurant joins the other 3 in that vicinity.
 
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nightstreak said:
Yeah, that security office is in a way too high profile spot as passengers walk to Front Street from the York Concourse. A blank wallet and security office is what they see now. That's such good exposure wasted. Hopefully another restaurant joins the other 3 in that vicinity.
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Plus it should be somewhere more centrally located.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Plus it should be somewhere more centrally located.

AoD
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There are two woefully underused spaces In the Great Hall on either side of the VIA Rail ramp.

Screenshot 2025-06-14 at 13.03.00.png


They're some sort of tourism offices with a couple of billboards and I've never once seen a single person, passenger or staff, in them. These would be the perfect place for security offices , exactly where someone would look for help.
 
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nightstreak said:
They're some sort of tourism offices with a couple of billboards and I've never once seen a single person, passenger or staff, in them.
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Those are entrances to the VIA ticket office BOH space, VIA filled the spaces with some promo images of their services, there are no tourism offices in there.

The entire east ticket office (the grey block to the right of the B) is currently unused and potentially abandoned:

IMG_1004.jpeg


My ultimate vision for this space would be one or mutiple small upscale cafe/restaurants that are appropriate in the Great Hall (No Harveys 😞).

I think it would compliment whatever goes on the north side. Similar to this concept art for another station:

IMG_1006.jpeg
 
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