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Retailers welcome renovation
Station's stores pine for customers

Sprucing up `shabby' terminus may help
Feb. 3, 2006. 01:00 AM
HAROLD LEVY
STAFF REPORTER

Plans to redevelop Union Station were met with mixed feelings by the owners of some of the station's smaller stores.
Ching Mei, owner of The General Store on the departures level, welcomed the massive renovations but feels much more downtown development is required.
"It is not enough to improve Union Station," Ching, who at 18 years believes she is the longest-standing merchant at Union Station. "The whole area around it has to be made more conducive for retail stores and there has to be adequate parking."
But Ching hopes the renovation will bring more business to the stores in Union Station which are often stagnant between the morning and evening rush hours.
"It could use a boost," she said.
Nancy, owner of a small bakery franchise in the GO Corridor area of Union Station, described her feelings about the renovation as "fifty-fifty."
"It's good for regular people and for Toronto because Toronto is open to the world and that is good," said Nancy, who has a 1 1/2-year lease. "But for us, for the business ... we're nervous.
"Change may not be good for the business."
It was good news to Jane Kang who works in a small cosmetics store in the concourse.
"This place is shabby," she said. "It definitely needs to be cleaned up.
"Look at the marble," she said, pointing toward the corridor. "I'm pretty sure it was white when they put it in. Now, it is brown."
Kang pointed out major problems for everyday users of the station, such as elevators that are so inaccessible that people take the ramps instead, poor access to the building and a confusing layout.
"I get people coming in all the time to ask me where to go," she said.
Mayor David Miller also welcomes the proposed overhaul.
"My hopes are that, first of all, the retail areas that are there are significantly improved. It will actually be a destination," he told reporters yesterday.
It was also good news to Qin Bin who operates a newsstand in the concourse area and has dreams of the station being transformed into an "enchanting" retail and transportation centre.
"I hope it can be made like a station fit for a modern city," said Qin, who recently signed a four-year lease.
"This could be huge and I will benefit."
with files from catherine porter