Province and business join to build new GO Station

TORONTO — The Government of Ontario is partnering with the private sector to build a new GO Station in Etobicoke, Ont.

The province recently announced it has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent with Vandyk Group of Companies. Metrolinx and Vandyk will negotiate the construction of a new Mimico station.

In exchange for the right to develop above Mimico GO Station, the developer will pay all construction costs for the main station building, new parking and Greenway, explains a release issued by the Ministry of Transportation.

The new station will include an accessible building, pedestrian tunnels and elevators, refurbished platforms and new entrances as well as below grade parking.

Allowing developers to build above transit stations in exchange for constructing new station facilities reduces the cost of transit expansion projects to taxpayers and creates mixed use communities at stations, states the province.

“Bringing a new station into a community at little or no cost to the taxpayer is something that has great potential,” said Metrolinx president and CEO Phil Verster in a statement. “Metrolinx continues to be open to innovative, joint approaches with the private sector that reduce the cost to taxpayers.”