Toronto is asking federal and provincial governments for cash to help cover about $80 million in cost overruns on the Union Station renovation project.

The two senior governments had capped their contributions at $356 million when the project’s cost was estimated at $640 million. The tab has since ballooned to $715 million.

Council’s government management committee on Thursday endorsed asking the federal government for an extra $20 million and the provincial government for $15 million more.

Toronto has written to the federal government and is awaiting a response. The city is also meeting with provincial officials to assess their willingness to share the cost of the overruns, the committee was told.

Revamping the rail transportation hub, which handles 65 million passengers a year, is expected to be completed in 2016.

In a separate decision, the committee endorsed leasing the vacant Joy Oil filling station on Lake Shore Blvd. to the Grenadier Group, which operates food concessions in the Western Beaches and High Park.

The city moved the historic castle-like station from Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Windermere Ave. to Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, giving the station a beach location on the south side of Lake Shore.

It has sat empty since 2008.

“This beautiful building has been sitting empty for far, far too long,” said area Councillor Sarah Doucette (Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park).

Doucettte said her constituents keep asking: “‘What’s going in there? We’ve got to get something in there. It’s right on the Martin Goodman Trail. What about rollerblades? Bike rental? Boat rental?’”

Staff told the committee that Grenadier will operate a snack bar and tourist information centre, while the city’s parks and recreation department will offer programming in part of the building.

Grenadier would lease the 8,000-square-foot property, on a 1.5-acre site, from Jan. 1, 2014 to May 9, 2031, assuming city council gives the nod at its meeting next month.

Financial terms of the proposed deal have not been disclosed.

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