Infrastructure Ontario has published architectural plans for the TOC sites, and the subway station layout is very similar to what is shown in the rendering in terms of being an open space, with elevators located between the sets of escalators/stairs, and columns around the perimeter. So while the rendering lacks the tower above the station, it seems the layout shown in the rendering is designed to support an overhead tower with no major changes.
Perfect example of the TOC process would be the central London Crossrail stations - stations built to support the weight of development above, and station systems (ventilation, fire safety etc) are separate from any future building on top. As with the TOC process, placeholder designs for the OSD (over station development) were used until actual planning permission was obtained and agreement reached with the developer.

Here's the Tottenham Court Road Dean Street entrance for example in 2019 and 2021 - station "pavilion" basically complete, and now having a building being built on top of it by developer Galliard Homes. Looks like they paid £43m for the privilege.

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Never knew of any Toronto neighbourhood called Corktown until this station. All I ever knew is that this area was the Pan Am athletes village few years back, I don't ever remember reading or hearing of "Corktown". No disrespect intended to the early settlers that called this home way back in the day.

Today it makes more sense to me to call the station Parliament, maybe with Front Street East as sub-title. Especially with the national historical significance of an archeological dig happening right on the same land. The station isn't even within the supposed borders of Corktown, it's outside to the south west.🤷‍♂️

Between now and opening day in 11 years (or whenever), they will likely stick with trying to make a somewhat obscure place name more meaningful by slapping it onto some permanent infrastructure, but I hope the public consultations come back with a better name that more accurately reflects what people/residents of the area actually say when speaking normally. If that ends up being "Corktown" anyway then I will gladly eat up all my words.
 
Growing up in Scarborough I learned about the city based on the major arterials and intersections, and then later same with the subway stations when I began using them. So the station names based on the major streets they were nearest to was logical and that stuck with me. I know not all stations are named like that on the TTC but most are.

Some of these neighbourhood names like this one Corktown will just take me a little extra getting used to because the actual geographical location is too vague if I'm not already familiar. If they named it Distillery which I have heard of before then it would be a little more helpful to me for way finding purposes.
 
Never knew of any Toronto neighbourhood called Corktown until this station. All I ever knew is that this area was the Pan Am athletes village few years back, I don't ever remember reading or hearing of "Corktown". No disrespect intended to the early settlers that called this home way back in the day.

Today it makes more sense to me to call the station Parliament, maybe with Front Street East as sub-title. Especially with the national historical significance of an archeological dig happening right on the same land. The station isn't even within the supposed borders of Corktown, it's outside to the south west.🤷‍♂️

Between now and opening day in 11 years (or whenever), they will likely stick with trying to make a somewhat obscure place name more meaningful by slapping it onto some permanent infrastructure, but I hope the public consultations come back with a better name that more accurately reflects what people/residents of the area actually say when speaking normally. If that ends up being "Corktown" anyway then I will gladly eat up all my words.
Surprising you have ever heard of "Corktown" but never mind, Corktown is probably NOT its final name; there is considerable local pressure for First Parliament and even some for St Lawrence. Of course, it may be called "Mayor Rob Ford" or be named after another of Doug's chums!
 
Surprising you have ever heard of "Corktown" but never mind, Corktown is probably NOT its final name; there is considerable local pressure for First Parliament and even some for St Lawrence. Of course, it may be called "Mayor Rob Ford" or be named after another of Doug's chums!
...or Deco Labels and Flexible Packaging Station (the Ford family business)? :eek:
 
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Lots of clearing happening here already. Corner of King and Beverley Berkeley (Thanks @DSC) so I assume this is related.
I was pretty sad being forced to sell my Niagara Street condo due to divorce, as I would lose my views of the Exhibition Station and King/Bathurst Station construction sites, the nearby truss bridge, rail and streetcar lines, the CN Tower (mostly the tip), slivers of the lake and even the Niagara Escarpment. I used to offer Gardiner traffic reports. I loved the MG trail access. This photo above reminds me that now, in my new condo, I have views of the Corktown and East Harbour Station construction sites, the nearby truss bridge, rail and streetcar lines, the CN Tower (much more) and downtown core, wide swaths of the lake, and the Scarborough Bluffs. I now offer lower DVP traffic reports. And I'm overwhelmed by the incredible access to multiple cycling trails and dedicated lanes. Life is good!
 
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with the scale of these two sites together becoming more and more apparent with the demo, it's a real shame that their isn't a grand vision for city building here.

considering the work SLNA put in over years of community consults for first parliament, and then the occupation of this block as a major infrastructure site, you'd hope that the right stakeholders would come together and put forward a scheme that would represent the best of city building in quite an old part of the city.

these two sites are enormous and right in the centre of the city. there should be a beautiful and sensible vision here for sensitive, dense city building. instead i honestly have no idea where this is going, and fear we'll just end up with soulless grey window wall and dreary unoccupied public realm
 
with the scale of these two sites together becoming more and more apparent with the demo, it's a real shame that their isn't a grand vision for city building here.

considering the work SLNA put in over years of community consults for first parliament, and then the occupation of this block as a major infrastructure site, you'd hope that the right stakeholders would come together and put forward a scheme that would represent the best of city building in quite an old part of the city.

these two sites are enormous and right in the centre of the city. there should be a beautiful and sensible vision here for sensitive, dense city building. instead i honestly have no idea where this is going, and fear we'll just end up with soulless grey window wall and dreary unoccupied public realm. Best to keep all of this on one thread, I suggest.
Take a look at the First Parliament site thread. Some recent discussion and links to City reports there. Probably best to keep the conversation in one place.
 

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