Metrolinx rejects Toronto’s request to pay part of increased costs for Union Station

TORONTO – After months of discussion, Metrolinx refused Toronto’s request for $15 million to cover a portion of the increased costs of the Union Station project.

City staff had reported in 2013 that the cost estimates to complete the revitilization had increased by $80 million. That’s when city council directed staff to ask for $15 million from the province and $25 million from Ottawa. Both levels of government said no.

The city had also assumed that the province would cover half of the $40 million in cost over runs on the project to extend the underground PATH system from Union Station. But again, the province has said no.

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Mayor John Tory made it sound as if there was still room for movement, although he wasn’t prepared to offer reasons for his optimism.

“I think there’s a lot of things to discuss with the province with respect to things that are not only beneficial to the city of Toronto but to the entire GTA. And so those are discussions that we’re having on an ongoing basis with the province on number of fronts. And I’ll just have to leave it at that,” said Tory.

Despite the apparent scramble, Tory insisted the city wasn’t caught by surprise.

“These are complicated, large matters that involve a lot of discussion with respect to the details and also some of the principles underlying those details,” he said, refusing to comment on any of the details.