At Council today - another legacy from Pam McConnell!

Authorization to Release Section 37 Funds to Real Estate Services for Installation of Public Art at Union Station - by Councillor Lucy Troisi, seconded by Councillor Paul Ainslie
* This Motion has been deemed urgent by the Chair.
* This Motion is not subject to a vote to waive referral. This Motion has been added to the agenda and is before Council for debate.

Recommendations

Councillor Lucy Troisi, seconded by Councillor Paul Ainslie, recommends that:

1. City Council increase the approved 2018 Capital Budget for Real Estate Services, on a one-time basis by $385,000 gross, $0 net, from Section 37 from 15 York Street community benefits to be used for the installation of a public art piece at Union Station (Cost Centre CCA 912-08).

Summary
Authority is being sought to release Section 37 funds to Real Estate Services for the installation of a Walks and Gardens Trust Commemoration public art piece at Union Station (65 Front Street West).

The public art piece went through an open public art competition and jury selection process in 2013. The piece is for the Walks and Gardens Trust Commemoration at Union Station, with the purpose of creating an interpretative installation on the Walks and Gardens Trust in perpetuity. The art piece is located below the Front Street Pedestrian Bridge, where a portion of the original trust lands were located.

The jury selected "fLUX" by internationally renowned, Brussels, Belgium-based studio LAb(au) as the winning proposal. The piece will generate an immersive experience of light and sound within the corridor, providing an element of interaction that will engage pedestrians traversing the walkway. fLUX will also be a significant contribution to contemporary art and Toronto's public art collection.

This Motion is urgent as design has been finalized and installation is scheduled to commence in Spring 2018.

It is to go in the walkway under between the York and Bay moats (as far as I know.)

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So it may just be that if you get a few people to stand just in the right positions, you could write words on it. Offensive words. Like the art installation at TTC Pioneer Village station. Then they'll pull the plug.
 
So it may just be that if you get a few people to stand just in the right positions, you could write words on it. Offensive words. Like the art installation at TTC Pioneer Village station. Then they'll pull the plug.

I don't think this piece have that level of interaction.

This Motion is urgent as design has been finalized and installation is scheduled to commence in Spring 2018.

Original UT article:

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2013/07/public-art-will-interact-passersby-union-station

The artwork will be installed in the last half of 2014.

*slowclap*

AoD
 
I can't believe that they're only approving the funds now for something that's bee "o the books" since 2013. Amazing. Nuts.

Meanwhile, if you haven't read the Phil Verster article on the front page yet, it's here, and it's worth reading in regards to the changes that the GO Concourses look like they'll be in for soon.

42
 
The open parts of both moats are 'walled off so that they can work inside the already covered areas without freezing their asses off and/ or getting wet.
I think pedestrians too.

Upon closer inspection,
It looks like they are planning to open this "covered" route to pedestrians.

The front of the Bay Concourse is already usable as a bypass route, they just need to flatten the floor and add doors to the Union Station building. and all those niggly little things.

Where pedestrians are, will become construction, and where workers are, will become the new moat route, while they work on the not-yet-covered areas. They may work in three stages, one section at a time, given the logistics - eastmost, center, westmost sections, divided by the tarpwalls.

So soon, we pedestrians will benefit from this walling-off shortly. I hope. It's really cold outside.
 
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I noticed today that they have started the final floor polishing etc in the VIA area - on east side beside Women washrooms. When they grind off the top coat of the new terrazzo it really looks pretty good. They also seem to be working full out on the other parts around the VIA area.
 
I noticed today that they have started the final floor polishing etc in the VIA area - on east side beside Women washrooms. When they grind off the top coat of the new terrazzo it really looks pretty good. They also seem to be working full out on the other parts around the VIA area.

Can anyone get pics?
 
Can anyone get pics?
Are these what you’re looking for?
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[Tounge in Cheek}
That''s Canada for your. Damn workers need to be warm and dry... No wonder it takes forever to build anything here, meanwhile in China they can build a whole new station in 9 hrs.
[/Tounge in Cheek]
Well, it needs to be warm if you're doing any sort of drywall, painting, or tiling work. Otherwise nothing will dry properly.
 
It still looks so bloody dated down there, though. I know, it's not done. But I'm really hoping it doesn't look like 1975 after a shower and a shave when this is all done.
 
It still looks so bloody dated down there, though. I know, it's not done. But I'm really hoping it doesn't look like 1975 after a shower and a shave when this is all done.

The look you mentioned is part of the heritage aspects of the station. You can't just gut the VIA concourse to make it look like Pearson Terminal 1 without there being a reason such as life safety or accessibility.
 
The look you mentioned is part of the heritage aspects of the station. You can't just gut the VIA concourse to make it look like Pearson Terminal 1 without there being a reason such as life safety or accessibility.

Well Chinese rail stations look like airport terminals, but perhaps we can strike a balance between heritage and modernity, like in Europe.
 
Well Chinese rail stations look like airport terminals, but perhaps we can strike a balance between heritage and modernity, like in Europe.

Not with the levels of heritage protection on the station.

Blame the metro centre development for the lack of changes.
 

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