Final cover for Raise the Dawn

[Christopher]

^The footage of ST III's spacedock was reused four times in TNG, but always to represent different stations: Starbase 74 in "11001001," Starbase 133 in "Remember Me," Lya Station Alpha in "Ensign Ro," and Starbase 84 in "Phantasms." Spacedock is mentioned and briefly visited in VGR: "Non Sequitur" (in an alternate timeline, but one that diverged fairly recently), but we don't see its exterior, only a set of space doors that are a reuse of footage of the Dyson Sphere hatch from "Relics." So we don't know whether it's the same Spacedock, although it certainly could be if you don't take stock footage too literally, or if you assume it was refitted.

 

[Sci]

^Makes sense.
However in the examples you state, these border towns are on either side of a sovereign territory border.

Actually, I rather imagine that the best comparison to the Bajoran Wormhole would probably be the Panama Canal. Mind you, the comparison isn't exact, for the reason I'll cite next:

Does anyone have claim to the other side of the wormhole?

Well, as of Rising Son, the GQ terminus of the Wormhole opens into the Idran system, so it may well be the sovereign territory of the Eav'oq. Perhaps the Federation has a treaty with them?

From a defensive point of view, I only see the need for a small station that is an extention of DS9, under the same command. Then DS9 can send crew and ships over to defend the gamma side as needed. As is, there appears to be no threat on the Gamma side.

I'm sure at least the bean counters at Starfleet Command have made this argument. With Starfleet stretched as thin as it is, aren't its exploratory and defensive resources better spent elsewhere? The Bajor sector isn't the hotbed of activity it was a few years ago. Are we afraid the Dominion or other enemy might take advantage of the Borg invasion and attack? Would resources be better spent along the Typhon Pact border?

I'm not worried about threats from the Gamma Quadrant side, per se. If I were the Federation President, I'd be worried about the Typhon Pact convincing the Eav'oq to give them control of the GQ terminus.

Has commercial traffic shifted greatly to the alpha quadrant now that closer worlds are in need of supplies or has the havok brought on by the Borg brought an increase in demand for Gamma Quad goods?

Considering the sheer number of worlds that were destroyed, I can't imagine that the Borg Invasion wouldn't prompt an increase in demand for goods from the Gamma Quadrant. There are probably a lot of major trading partners and centers the Federation and Klingon Empire lost.

 

[Therin of Andor]

A monitoring station and small depot, maybe. But why build a major facility minutes away from the existing one?

The Wormhole has been known to be impassable at times. For when/if it closes permanently, or even longterm, it makes sense to have a facility on the other side for vessels still in the Gamma Quadrant.