Fort York, Photo Robert Allsopp

Everyone is welcome to view the designs of the five finalists and to fill out a comments form. The five finalist firms are: Baird Sampson Neuert Architects; Raw Design; Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc.; duToit Architects Ltd.; Patkau Architects Inc. with Kearns Mancini.

A jury will pick the winning design and the design will be announced before the end of December. The Fort York Visitor Centre is a major part of the overall project to revitalize the entire 43-acre Fort York National Historic site in time for the launch of the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812 in June 2012. Fort York National Historic Site houses the largest collection of 1812-era buildings in Canada and is Canada's only authentic 1812-era Fort. The overall revitalization also includes:

• the construction of the elegant new Fort York Pedestrian/Cycling Bridge, which will span the railway lines, joining the Fort to the downtown;
• a continuous open space plan for the landscape surrounding the Fort, which will not only restore areas of original 17th and 18th century landscape but provide a wonderful community resource for the newly emerging Fort York residential community located to the north, south and east of the Fort (20,000 residents and 600 units of social housing as well as the 100th branch of the Toronto Public Library by 2012);
• the restoration of all 8 buildings on the site so that they will be fully accessible to visitors for the first time since the Fort became a museum in 1934.

Beyond its role of improving the visitor experience, the Visitor Centre will serve as a community hub outside public museum hours. Other City projects that will enhance the revitalization of Fort York National Historic Site include: Watertable, the wonderful new light sculpture under the Gardiner Expressway by the Fort; the development of June Callwood Park to the south of the Fort, which will provide a pedestrian/cycling connection from the Fort to the waterfront; and the development of the northern linear park that will connect the Fort in the east to City Place, the Rogers Centre, and Roundhouse Park.