The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Toronto–York Spadina subway extension (TYSSE) was held on November 27, 2009;[4] however, tunnelling operations did not commence until June 2011.

On October 11, 2011, one of the geostructural drilling rigs on site collapsed and killed Kyle Knox, an operator working for a contractor on the project, Anchor Shoring.

[2] The station lies at the east end the Harry W. Arthurs Common on the west side of Ian MacDonald Boulevard.

Engineering consultants Arup and architecture firm Foster and Partners designed the station, which has a boomerang shape with entrances at the north and south ends of the structure.

Besides stairs, the south entrance provides a barrier-free route consisting of an elevator to the concourse level plus a ramp to the fare gates.

[19] "Piston Effect" consists of a series of glass panels on the west walls at concourse level and above the northbound track.

[26] Between January 2018 and March 2020, there was a $1.50 fare discount for GO Transit riders paying with Presto, transferring to or from the subway (a TTC system-wide policy with GO).

[27][28][29] Prior to the fare-integration policy,[clarification needed] there was an inactive proposal to eliminate the double (YRT plus TTC) fare for passengers arriving at the York University campus from Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Highway 407, or Pioneer Village stations in or bordering York Region who transferred from connecting YRT buses.

This assumed the elimination of the double fare for those riding a YRT bus to the stations in York Region and continuing by subway to the campus.