Summerhill Station Restaurant Development | Proposed | Rosedale

[The 'Sauga]

'All aboard' call for railway bridge restaurant
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 | 12:16 PM ET
CBC News

The developer behind the restoration of Toronto's midtown railway station and Summerhill clock tower wants to build a 100-seat restaurant spanning the Canadian Pacific Railway overpass, right over Yonge Street.

Diners would look south through the heart of the city, while sitting right next to passing freight trains.

Canadian Pacific has signed on and Woodcliffe Development Corp. hopes to get city approvals for a 2009 opening.

"We're proposing to build on an active railway bridge, over Yonge Street, and that doesn't occur every day," said developer Paul Oberman as he showed off a model of his glass-walled restaurant.

He said the restaurant will be "somewhat reminiscent of the original canopies that were there when the train station was in use back in the teens and '20s."

Oberman said it's taken the railway, neighbours and the city some time to warm up to the idea of putting diners on a working rail overpass.

"You see down this corridor of buildings straight down Yonge Street to the lake on a clear day, and at night you see a ribbon of lights in both directions."

Jennifer Ayres of the Summerhill Residents Association is skeptical.

"I just couldn't understand someone spending $200 a plate to be shaken to bits sitting on the top of that platform there.

"My house shakes, especially in the wintertime, and I cannot see any kind of engineering that would change that type of vibration when you are actually on the bridge," she said.

To receive final city approval Oberman still needs to address zoning, safety and parking issues.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2007/09/25/to-train-resto.jpg

[Taller, Better]

This has been in the works for a couple of years now... I heard (:gossip:) they were going to get a super-duper chef.... maybe one whose name starts with S and rhymes with Mooser!! ;)

Mooser?? :weird:

[Wrk_InProgress]

This has been in the works for a couple of years now... I heard (:gossip:) they were going to get a super-duper chef.... maybe one whose name starts with S and rhymes with Mooser!! ;)

Mooser?? :weird:

I'll guess .... Jamie Kennedy.

[Tuscani01]

Its in Summerhill, not Rosedale... gosh!

[noob(but not really)]

Awesome!!

[vancouverite/to'er]

I'm worried it would take away from the beautiful station... but cool idea.

[TRZ]

I'm worried about conflicts with when GO Transit expands capacity along this corridor and runs frequent commuter trains to the Summerhill connection in the near future if MoveOntario goes forward. The developer has not taken into consideration a return of passenger services to this corridor, as only freight trains were mentioned in the article. This is short-sighted stupidity (or ignorance, frankly somebody in the business should be upto speed on these things though) on the part of the developers. I wonder if there'll be any reactions from political circles or the transportation people on this proposal.

And how would they address parking, now that I think of it?

It is concievable to suggest that Union Station's east side may be more suited for something like this - it'd have all 4 directions available to it using Youge's southern most and longer railway underpass. Being a block away from Union Station proper, it shouldn't conflict with air-rights to the station, yet still offer potentially direct access to the platforms at Union Station in addition to Yonge Street... interesting concept perhaps, to have your walk-in customers come direct off the train from the platform?

[Taller, Better]

I'm worried it would take away from the beautiful station... but cool idea.

I think it will add... I saw an initial rendering last year and it was quite cool...