Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT Stations Under Fire for Missed Development Potential
Toronto, ON – As teh Eglinton Crosstown LRT nears its anticipated 2025 opening, scrutiny is mounting over a key design flaw: the lack of integrated development above many of its stations. Despite the potential for increased housing and revenue generation, several stations, including Cedarvale, are being built as standalone structures, raising concerns about a missed chance to address Toronto’s housing crisis and fund future transit projects.
The Cedarvale station, a “gleaming glass box” situated at a major transportation intersection alongside the Allen Expressway and a TTC subway line, exemplifies the issue. Currently planned as a single-storey building, the station’s design contrasts sharply with examples in othre global cities.
Experts point to successful models like New York’s Hudson Yards, which utilized a massive platform built over active rail lines to support multiple towers. This approach allowed for both spacious passenger flow and the structural capacity for significant development.
The benefits of linking transit and development are well-documented. Cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong have successfully leveraged real estate revenue to fund and even profit from their transit systems, with Hong Kong’s MTR network being a prime example. The article notes that the MTR’s real estate activities are so substantial it “could be called a developer that runs trains.”
Even London has a history of building up around transit, with the Covent Garden station originally built in 1904 with three storeys above ground, and a fourth floor approved for addition in 2018.
Critics argue that the Crosstown’s small station footprints are hindering future development potential. The article highlights that the standard urban pattern involves replacing modest developments with taller buildings as land values increase, but the Crosstown’s initial designs are making this process more tough. The “glass box” aesthetic, while visually appealing, is also reportedly more challenging to build upon than traditional building structures.
The Ontario government is urged to learn from this experience and prioritize integrated development in future transit projects to maximize both housing supply and financial sustainability. While Torontonians may be relieved to finally see the Crosstown operational – with hopes for a 2025 opening – the article emphasizes that the line’s design flaws should not be overlooked.
