Union Subway Station: Second Platform and Concourse Improvements

Developer: Toronto Transit Commission, Waterfront Toronto
Architect: Arcadis
  
Address: Front Street & Bay Street, Toronto
Category: Transit
Status: CompleteCompletion: 2015
Height: ? ft / ? mStoreys: ? storeys
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Toronto Union Subway Station: Second Platform and Concourse Improvements | ?m | ?s | TTC | Arcadis

The bid results have been released, and they may explain why the tender was delayed for so long. Ellis-Don has the low bid at $153 M - I think the prior estimate was about $100 M. (Edit: Steve Munroputs it at $127M). Two of the four companies didn't even bid, including Vanbots who're doing the train station renovation just a few feet away.

Seems like either these companies are just too busy to bother or they figured this project would just be too much of a headache.
 
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Swarley said:
The bid results have been released, and they may explain why the tender was delayed for so long. Ellis-Don has the low bid at $153 M - I think the prior estimate was about $100 M. (Edit: Steve Munroputs it at $127M). Two of the four companies didn't even bid, including Vanbots who're doing the train station renovation just a few feet away.

Seems like either these companies are just too busy to bother or they figured this project would just be too much of a headache.
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Any other TTC bid I've checked of late has come in low. Looks as though the market is drying up. Though this is a big one.

Ellis Don is certainly a good contractor; which is a good sign.

The report to the TTC meeting asking for the TTCers to approve will give their own estimate when it comes out; be it $100 M or $127 M.
 
Swarley said:
The bid results have been released, and they may explain why the tender was delayed for so long. Ellis-Don has the low bid at $153 M - I think the prior estimate was about $100 M. (Edit: Steve Munroputs it at $127M). Two of the four companies didn't even bid, including Vanbots who're doing the train station renovation just a few feet away.

Seems like either these companies are just too busy to bother or they figured this project would just be too much of a headache.
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This is from the Waterfront Toronto CEO's Report to their March Board meeting. I suspect that if TTC wants to go ahead THEY will need to come up with the extra $$.

Union Station Second Platform – TTC has advised that the pre-tender estimate for the Second Platform indicates that the projected costs will exceed the budget. Management has reconfirmed the Corporation‟s position with TTC that WT‟s contribution to this project is capped at $137.5 million and that any additional funding must be obtained by the TTC from other sources.WT hasadvised TTC that it would have no objections to them proceeding to tender to confirm the actual costs based on the competitive bidding process.
 
From this TTC report:
As the design progressed with input from stakeholders including the City of Toronto, GO Transit, VIA and adjacent property owners to refine the design, the cost estimate increased to $137.5 million as included in the 2008 budget. Furthermore, there is an additional $45 million of work associated with the fire ventilation system and station rehabilitation funded from other projects.
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Looks like the total estimate was really about $180M. So if you add in engineering and PM costs to the $150M then this might be close to what it should be.
 
Have they not even signed the contract yet? What is going on with Union Station. Three major projects and the GO website for Union Station hasn't been updated since January, the Toronto website hasn't been update since November, and the TTC website hasn't been updated since April even though the bid period has come and gone. Am I the only one frustrated with how slow this project is to go from approved project through tendering and onto visible construction?
 
The Burgher of TO said:
dont be too sure about that. ttc construction seems to have a way of taking far beyond reasonable lengths of time. look at the delays on the dundas square stairs, or the neverending work at broadview, or the years it takes to put in a new elevator

my prediction is that work will be underway on the york extension before work at union is actually wrapped up
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Don't be silly. They'll have this done by the end of 2009!!
 
EnviroTO said:
Have they not even signed the contract yet? What is going on with Union Station. Three major projects and the GO website for Union Station hasn't been updated since January, the Toronto website hasn't been update since November, and the TTC website hasn't been updated since April even though the bid period has come and gone.
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The TTC tendering website is updated daily - http://www2.ttc.ca/html/frameset.htm

If you look down to "U2-1 UNION STATION SECOND PLATFORM & CONCOURSE IMPRV." you will see that TTC they've changed the planned award date from late August to October 1. Presumably there is a complication with the bids.

Until the contract is awarded, I don't see how anything can be updated on the construction page.

Also, I'm not sure why you are saying the city site hasn't been updated since November. I see new content there from this year, including a press release from June 2010.

You also say that the GO Transit hasn't been updated since January, but looking through, I quickly found a presentation from May 2010, and photos of construction that look like they were taken this summer. When you walk around the station it's quite clear that work is progressing, with the closed platforms, construction hoarding, musical hallways, and all the trackwork.

The big issue seems to be that the TTC hasn't awarded the subway platform contract yet. However it's still only about 5 weeks since the tender closed; presumably we will see something about it at the September 30 TTC meeting. Though with the election coming, if it doesn't appear then, I'd be concerned.
 
nfitz said:
If you look down to "U2-1 UNION STATION SECOND PLATFORM & CONCOURSE IMPRV." you will see that TTC they've changed the planned award date from late August to October 1. Presumably there is a complication with the bids.
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Delay. Exactly my concern.

Also, I'm not sure why you are saying the city site hasn't been updated since November. I see new content there from this year, including a press release from June 2010.
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That is a regurgitation of previous comments. The deal was signed late last fall. We should see diagrams of what is happening, or pictures, or plans.

You also say that the GO Transit hasn't been updated since January, but looking through, I quickly found a presentation from May 2010, and photos of construction that look like they were taken this summer.
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Of Union Station? I haven't seen any on that site.

When you walk around the station it's quite clear that work is progressing, with the closed platforms, construction hoarding, musical hallways, and all the trackwork.
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I know it is under way, but unlike the Waterfront Toronto site where there are web cams and around the web there are numerous bits of photographic evidence of progress, there doesn't seem to be anything easily visible for this project.

The big issue seems to be that the TTC hasn't awarded the subway platform contract yet. However it's still only about 5 weeks since the tender closed; presumably we will see something about it at the September 30 TTC meeting. Though with the election coming, if it doesn't appear then, I'd be concerned.
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Hopefully something happens soon.
 
I wouldn't worry to much about the delay. Most public sector entities take weeks to award a contract, even if it's small. And for the TTC, they only make announcements in their Commission meetings. It would be literally impossible for them to award this contract any sooner than 1 month after closing.
 
nfitz said:
You also say that the GO Transit hasn't been updated since January, but looking through, I quickly found a presentation from May 2010, and photos of construction that look like they were taken this summer. .
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The only pictures I can find on that site look like they're from a couple years ago, when Platform 26 was being constructed, etc.
 
Ominous. There is nothing about Union second platform on tomorrow's TTC agenda. Also the tendering website http://www2.ttc.ca/html/results.htm no longer lists the project. However I can see it on the version cached in Google on Monday.

I can still see the response information on the TTC website - http://www2.ttc.ca/gsopp/T11PN09868.HTM - but nothing seems to link here.

Perhaps it's in no-man's land between the responses and awards ... but I'd have though a contract of that value ($150+ million) would have to go to the Commission. Not a good sign.
 
nfitz said:
I'd have though a contract of that value ($150+ million) would have to go to the Commission. Not a good sign.
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Yes, a bit strange but it's partly a Waterfront Toronto project so the tender may actually be awarded by them? The lowest bid was, I think, just about in the ball-park for the funds they have.
 
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