| Allandale Waterfront GO Station (Opens 2011) |
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Allandale Station in 2004 |
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| Station statistics | |
| Address | 285 Bradford Street Barrie, Ontario |
| Lines | None (formerly Canadian, Northlander, GO Transit Barrie line) |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Tracks | 0 |
| Other information | |
| Opened | June 19, 1905 |
| Closed | 1980; rails lifted 1996 |
| Owned by | City of Barrie |
| Formerly | CHUM Limited |
Allandale Waterfront GO Station[1][2], formerly known as Allandale Station, is a historic and now unused train station that occupies a large property on the southern shore of Lake Simcoe in the waterfront area of Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
In 2009, work began to renovate the facility, and on June 15, 2011 GO Transit announced the station will be in use in the fall.[3][4]
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The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad (OS&HURR) first built a station here in 1853. The current structure, the fourth station building on the site, was built in 1904 by Richard Scruton, and opened by then-operator Grand Trunk Railway on June 19, 1905.[5][6] The station provided passenger service for the Grand Trunk and later the Canadian National Railway and Via Rail until closing in 1980.[6] It briefly reopened as a GO passenger facility from 1990 to 1993. In 1996 the CNR lifted rails between Allandale and Longford.
The Allandale Community Development Corporation or 'ACDC' (with City interests) purchased the buildings and adjacent 7 acres (28,000 m2) from CNR after train service discontinued in the 1980s.[7] ACDC then sold the station to CHUM Ltd in 2000.
CHUM Ltd. purchased the 6.9 acres (28,000 m2) of land, including the station buildings for $1,050,000 in 2000. CHUM planned to restore the Allandale Station building as part of their plan to develop of a new broadcast centre on the site, though changed their plan in 2004. In 2007 CHUM agreed to sell the property to the City for the same amount CHUM originally paid. CHUM received a Charitable Donation Tax Receipt reflecting the increased value of the property since 2000 largely due to the restoration and site works completed by CHUM.[8]
The area of the historic Allandale Station is currently undergoing three stages of redevelopment: (i) the City of Barrie is undertaking the restoration of the historic Allandale Station, (ii) GO Transit is constructing a new station directly next to the historic Allandale station, and (iii) the City of Barrie is undertaking the restoration of Gowan Street, which borders the southern edge of the station lands. The area is expected to become a new transportation and cultural hub of the city once all construction is complete.
Regarding the restoration of the historic station, the exterior works are almost complete as of September 2011. Regarding the new GO Station, it broke ground in spring 2010 and as of September 2011, construction is well underway including the installation of a tunnel that will be part of the new station stop. Following the completion of this work, GO will begin work on a platform, shelter, parking, lighting and an internal roadway, as well as enclosures for communications and mechanical equipment. The total budget is $10.7 million [3]. Regarding the Gowan Street reconstruction, as of September 2011 the servicing upgrades have been completed and the base asphalt has been laid, following these works, street lights will be installed, parking spaces identified and the final landscaping requirements will be completed.
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