The Cooksville Go Station in Mississauga is About to Get a Major Facelift

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Published January 25, 2017 at 5:27 pm

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Last fall, Insauga reported that Metrolinx launched a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for interested parties who wanted to design a new version of the Cooksville GO station. This project was not only responding to the impending Hurontario LRT, but also the province’s plan to move towards Regional Express Rail (RER) along the Milton corridor.

The RFQ has now been completed and Metrolinx is moving into what is known as the Requests for Proposals (RFP) from two pre-qualified teams to design, build and finance the new station. Selection criteria include applicable design, construction experience, and capacity to finance a project of this size and complexity. For Metrolinx, they’re hoping the pre-qualified companies could design something that looks like this:

From all the companies who submitted applications, only two teams pre-qualified for the RFP: EllisDon Infrastructure Transit and Kenaidan Obayashi Transit Partner

Insauga reached out to the office of MPP Dipika Damerla, who represents the Cooksville area, to inquire as to why those particular companies were chosen. We received an email reply from Damerla’s assistant stating that five teams had submitted their applications and out of these, Ellisdon and Kenaidan Obayashi were deemed successful for the pre-qualification.

I would say that Ellisdon is the more recognizable company, and it is not the first time they have undertaken a massive transit project of this type. Ellisdon has worked on projects in Ottawa (LRT Confederation Line), the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the LRT in Edmonton, as well as a slew of public infrastructure projects such as the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital and the Ryerson Students Centre in downtown Toronto.

As for Kenaidan Obayashi Transit Partner, they are not as well known, but they do have a history of infrastructure projects in Ontario pertaining to transit and other forms of civic infrastructure, as shown on their company website.

Whatever design that either company comes up with, it would have to include certain amenities and structures as per Metrolinx’s request, such as the following:

  • A new station building with a large public plaza
  • Upgrades to existing rail platforms access tunnels 
  • New six-storey parking structure and redevelopment of parking areas
  • Bus loop with a minimum of eight bus bays for GO and MiWay bus service

The Cooksville Go station will be the intermodal hub along the upcoming Hurontario LRT corridor. You might recall that the LRT project is slated to break ground in 2018 and reach completion in 2022, and its fairly imminent arrival emphasizes the need for a bigger, better and reinvigorated Go Station.

You can take a look at the LRT route here:

Personally, I have some issues with the idea of another six-storey parking structure being built. Have you seen the Erindale GO station parking structure? It might fit that area adequately because there’s enough space to accommodate it. The Cooksville GO station area is still quite populated, with four condos adjacent to the station, as well as a smattering of residential homes nearby. Would a looming parking structure fit the landscape of a transforming Cooksville? Would it not be better if they perhaps just dig and install underground parking instead?

I actually think it’s good that they are expanding the bus service area to include eight bus bays. There is a No. 53 route on the MiWay service that will start south from the Cooksville GO station as part of Mississauga’s redesign of the bus route, and if they are expanding bus services, the bus platform should be upgraded to accommodate the increased service from both GO and MiWay.

As for one final suggestion, I hope that the final redesign provides some kind of pedestrian skywalk across from the far east end of the GO platform over Hurontario to the other side. The initial drawings for the LRT station envisioned a pedestrian walkway because of the presence of the LRT, but I think a pedestrian bridge that runs parallel with the tracks would be more beneficial and much safer for people to get across a busy Hurontario Street.

Do you have any suggestions for what the two companies should include in their redesigned proposal for the Cooksville GO station?

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