Union Station Revitalization Complete After 11 Years.

[black booty lover]

So Union Station is complete after 11 years and even though it's already open there's lots of cosmetic work to be done. . To be honest I remember it being even longer then that, but why the fuck does it always take Canada so long to do this shit?

New York did the same thing with Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station) in 4 fucking years. I just don't get it....

 

[Anbarandy]

So Union Station is complete after 11 years and even though it's already open there's lots of cosmetic work to be done. . To be honest I remember it being even longer then that, but why the fuck does it always take Canada so long to do this shit?

New York did the same thing with Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station) in 4 fucking years. I just don't get it....

The Pennsylvania Station renovation/restoration project was a $1.6 billion, two phased project that commenced in 2010.

Moynihan Train Hall was a part of that renovation, NOT the entirety of it.

The scope, time line and cost of the renovation/restoration projects, Penn St and Union Station, are not out of whack as you suggest.

PS > Giving away the 407 for a song and squatting out fecal dump after fecal dump directly into the beginning of the now fecal matter clogged tunnel of the former Eglinton W. subway line were strokes of genius.

BTW, the original Pennsylvania Station, opened in 1910, was a groundbreaking architectual and engineering achievement and monumental structure.

In short, a monument for the ages ..... demolished and replaced with MSG.

 

[Uncharted]

What I don't get is that this thing went over 6 years behind schedule, and God knows how much over budget. How the fuck does the contractor who won the bid get away with this? A certain amount of time behind schedule, fine.
But more than double the original estimate? If this was a private job, the contractor would be eating a lot of the costs associated with this fiasco.

 

[Frankfooter]

So Union Station is complete after 11 years and even though it's already open there's lots of cosmetic work to be done. . To be honest I remember it being even longer then that, but why the fuck does it always take Canada so long to do this shit?

New York did the same thing with Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station) in 4 fucking years. I just don't get it....

Its just the construction industry in general, isn't it?

Every house reno runs late and over budget, multiply that by 10 with more surprises during the process and it really shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Uncharted]

Its just the construction industry in general, isn't it?

Every house reno runs late and over budget, multiply that by 10 with more surprises during the process and it really shouldn't be a surprise.

House renos can only go so far over budget and time before the contractor can be held responsible.
A friend of mine had a reno of his house. The contractor went 75% over time and estimated cost, due to the increased time.
My friend refused to pay the balance. The contractor put a lean on the house. My friend then sued the contractor for the lean amount and won. The contractor couldn't provide any unforeseen reason for that much of a delay, that wasn't already documented at the time of the estimate.

 

[K Douglas]

Does anyone know what the real budget/timeline was supposed to be?

 

[Uncharted]

Does anyone know what the real budget/timeline was supposed to be?

They said on the news the original timeline was 5 years. I'm not sure of the budget.

 

[Ponderling]

Well when you design renos to existing infrastructure you ask the client:
How much do we spend tearing existings apart at engineering design stage to validate existing condition, or do we just make assumptions.
A lot of the time the owner comes back with 'take photos and poke around a bit , but don't make a mess until we get funding assured for the capital project.
So you write the cover letter with the drawings with the littany of assumptions.

Then construction comes, and the reality buried a few layers down emerges. If not in the base design, then how to adapt that design to work with what is found (delay) and disrupt contractor progress ( cost overrun). If what is found in an unknown existing utility owned by another company, which is not odd in old building sites, then the owner has to wait for the utility to move it, and pay for that as well as delay to the general contractor costs.

Then the thing opens and everyone gripes. And all of this has happened largely under live train lines, and a cant stop commuter station, which are no small matter to delay things along the way during construction.

So let the critics live though a reno on a 100 year old house. On a fixed time and budget.
Have them put a full 10' basement in to replace the crawl space and make it livable as a home studio, etc all the while continuing to live in the house.
Do that and the see how much of a critic they would be on what Union station is today.

 

[poker]

Curious if the Michel's baguette still has that primo spot, or did they get moved down the line?

 

[Bumblaster]

Meh. Toronto excels at mediocrity when it comes to architecture. Google "Rotterdam Centraal Station" to see how railway stations are supposed to be done.
Another depressingly uninspiring project where the taxpayer is left holding the bag.
Up next, level boarding platforms - wow, how 21st century of Metrolinx lol.

Cheers
BB

 

[bazokajoe]

Compared to the old Union Station it's a huge improvement. The old one was so dark and outdated.

 

[black booty lover]

Compared to the old Union Station it's a huge improvement. The old one was so dark and outdated.

I don't think anyone is arguing it's a very nice improvement, but 11 fucking years?? and it's not really complete. The Bay Street concourse in now open, but there's still lots of work to be done.

 

[bazokajoe]

I don't think anyone is arguing it's a very nice improvement, but 11 fucking years?? and it's not really complete. The Bay Street concourse in now open, but there's still lots of work to be done.

Meh. It's not a place people go to for vacation. It's clean, bright and modern. That's all that matters

 

[black booty lover]

Meh. It's not a place people go to for vacation. It's clean, bright and modern. That's all that matters

I get that, but my point was it took 11 years. Why does it take so long for these things to get completed in Canada? That's crazy.

 

[black booty lover]

Meh. Toronto excels at mediocrity when it comes to architecture.x

Cheers
BB

Has nothing to do with architecture. In fact it's a very nice building. They didn't tear the building down and rebuild it. They renovated the inside.

 

[explorerzip]

I get that, but my point was it took 11 years. Why does it take so long for these things to get completed in Canada? That's crazy.

How many construction and skilled trade workers are there in Canada? How many people are entering / leaving those professions? How do our union, health and safety, etc standards compare to other places? How does transit funding work in Canada work vs other countries? Not making excuses BTW, but these are all reasonable questions to ask.

 

[black booty lover]

How many construction and skilled trade workers are there in Canada? How many people are entering / leaving those professions? How do our union, health and safety, etc standards compare to other places? How does transit funding work in Canada work vs other countries? Not making excuses BTW, but these are all reasonable questions to ask.

and they are good questions that might be the answers.

 

[bazokajoe]

I get that, but my point was it took 11 years. Why does it take so long for these things to get completed in Canada? That's crazy.

Has any government project been on time and on budget?