Page 22 - HumberHappenings | Spring 2023

COMMUNITY News
HUMBER
BAY
SHORES
GO STATION INFORMATION UPDATE
BY JOHN BROWNE, VICE PRESIDENT HBSCA
I n January, the Humber Bay Shores Condominium Association (HBSCA) met with City Staff to discuss the
future GO Station in Humber Bay Shores. The GO Station will be owned and oper- ated by Metrolinx but the developer of the former Mr. Christie site is responsible for financing and overseeing the construc- tion of the station.
Although the development of the site will occur in six phases over several years, there are significant incentives for the developer to help ensure that con- struction of the GO Station proceeds in a timely manner. Before the developer receives final approval to proceed with the first phase of its development, the GO Station must receive all necessary approvals and there must be “acceptance of an agreement outlining the provision of secured funding to deliver the GO Transit Station secured to the satisfac- tion of the Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning”. In addition, the GO Station must be operational before approval is given for Phase 2 of the development.
Based on our discussions with the city, it is expected that construction of the GO Station will begin in 2025 and it will be
operational in 2027, although Metrolinx has indicated that they are not currently in a position to discuss this timeline.
The two main buildings for the station will be on the east side of Park Lawn Rd., one on each side of the tracks. Each building will access either the east-bound or the west-bound platform, and the two buildings will be connected by a tunnel under the tracks. A third smaller building will be built on the west side of Park Lawn Rd. providing access to the west-bound tracks only; there will be no access to the east-bound tracks from the west side of Park Lawn Rd.
The two main buildings will have space where people can wait for the trains and the south building will contain one set of washrooms. In addition, shelters will be spread along the platforms and there will be a canopy over the eastern half of each platform.
All three buildings will have access from Park Lawn Rd. by the tracks. The two main buildings will also have additional access points, especially to the south building from the new development on the former Mr. Christie site. This includes an entrance at platform level from the new Station Plaza (a privately owned pub-
licly accessible space) that will be built within the former Mr. Christie site to the south of the station.
The two main buildings will each have two elevators from street level to the plat- forms, while the third building will have one. Metrolinx plans to eventually have platform level boarding (like on the subway). As a result, the stairs and eleva- tors will be built to accommodate this higher platform level, necessitating the need to step down to a lower platform level until the changeover.
The GO Station will not have any assigned parking which will help to con- tain the traffic coming into Humber Bay Shores. However, as part of Phase 3, an underground pick-up and drop-off area (PUDO) will be built adjacent to the south building. Until it is completed, a tempo- rary PUDO will be provided around the area of the Bank of Montreal building.
Eventually, the TTC streetcar tracks will loop through the center of the new development. They will extend from Lake Shore Blvd. West up to Station Plaza, providing a direct connection to the GO Station. This loop is intended to replace the Humber Loop and will be built as part of Phase 3. HH
22 HUMBER HAPPENINGS | SPRING 2023
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