Item - 2023.EX5.3

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council request the Province of Ontario to fund all associated costs required to deliver Cummer Station as part of the Yonge North Subway Extension.

2.  City Council request the Executive Director, Transit Expansion to explore Federal infrastructure funding opportunities to contribute towards Cummer Station and report back to the Executive Committee as part of the next transit expansion update report.

3.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in coordination with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to determine the level of funding that would be generated by Transit Oriented Communities developments around the intersection of Yonge Street and Cummer Avenue to be applied towards the construction costs of Cummer Station and report back to the Executive Committee as part of the next transit expansion update report.

4.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back to the Executive Committee as part of the next transit expansion update report on the transit that will be needed to serve the projected growth for the area based on approved and planned developments in the absence of Cummer Station.

5.  City Council request the Director, Transit and Transportation Planning to explore the cost of creating and posting signage in the Yonge Street and Cummer Avenue area beside every new development notice to announce that there is no plan or funding in place to build Cummer Station as part of the Yonge North Subway Extension and report back to City Council on funding required to produce and install the signage.

The Province of Ontario's Subways Program, being delivered by Metrolinx, is a significant transit expansion project within the City of Toronto. The Subways Program consists of the Ontario Line, Scarborough Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE) projects. This report provides updates on procurement, design, construction, and engagement milestones achieved by Metrolinx since staff last reported to City Council on the entirety of the Subways Program in June 2022 and addresses related City Council directives.

Cummer Station

Metrolinx’s business case for the YNSE considered a total of six stations, Cummer, Steeles, Clark, Royal Orchard, Bridge and High Tech. Metrolinx indicated that the available project budget would not be able to deliver all the proposed stations and noted that Cummer Station did not perform as well as some of the other stations. City and TTC staff raised concerns with how the business case positioned Cummer Station. In particular, City staff noted that the significant development potential and recent activity in the station area, which far outpaces that of other stations was not sufficiently considered. However, Cummer and Royal Orchard stations were de-scoped from the project by Metrolinx.

Subsequently, the Province offered that any proceeds of Transit Oriented Communities (TOCs) delivered in the proposed Cummer Station area would be turned over to the City to offset the capital cost of the station. City staff have assessed TOC opportunities in the vicinity of Yonge Street and Cummer/Drewery Avenue. The bulk of development properties in the area are well into the development process such that they are not available for consideration as TOC sites. The remaining opportunities are limited mostly to properties directly at the station intersection. Ultimately TOC development, if even feasible, is not expected to contribute significant funding to support the delivery of Cummer Station.  

The Province has advised that should the City wish to include Cummer Station in the YNSE project, the City is required to provide the funds required to facilitate the station's delivery. The Province requires a commitment of funds no later than August 2023. The Province has noted the costs of delivering Cummer Station could be undertaken in one of two approaches:

1. Single Build: Building the full station as part of the YNSE project. This approach would cost roughly $70 million as part of the Advanced Tunnel (AT) contract and $375-400 million in the Stations, Rail, Systems (SRS) contract, for a total cost of $445-470 million; or

2. Phased Build: Building part of the station now and completing it later. This approach would cost upwards of $70 million as part of AT and $250-275 million in the SRS contract. Additional funding will be needed to complete the station in the future. This means that by 2060 the total cost with the additional funds would reach $535-545 million, which will be roughly 10-25% more expensive than a single build approach.

However, based on the inability of the City to secure sufficient funds from TOC developments in the station area as noted above, and the City’s current significant financial constraints, the City does not have funding budgeted to proceed with either approach to enable the delivery of Cummer Station as part of the YNSE. As such, this report requests the Province fund all associated costs required to deliver Cummer Station as part of its YNSE project. Should the Province not agree to pay for the costs associated with Cummer Station, there would be no funding available for Metrolinx to deliver Cummer Station as part of the YNSE project.