Ontario is currently in search of a temporary location for the Ontario Science Centre after abruptly closing its original building last week due to structural concerns. The government announced on Friday that the science centre would permanently close in its east Toronto location at the end of the day following the receipt of an engineering report on the state of the roof.
While the government had plans to relocate the science centre to the waterfront Ontario Place attraction, which is set to open in 2028, officials are now looking for a temporary space to house some of the programming and exhibits until then. Infrastructure Ontario has released a request for proposals for retail or commercial space that can accommodate a temporary Ontario Science Centre, with a size requirement of about 50,000 to 100,000 square feet – significantly smaller than the original building’s 568,000 square feet.
Critics of the science centre relocation were already concerned about the new building at Ontario Place being half the size of the original building. The government has claimed that the new location will have more exhibit space due to a more efficient use of space, but a report from the auditor general suggests that there will actually be 18% less exhibit space.
The search for a temporary home for the Ontario Science Centre continues as the government works to ensure that the important programming and exhibits can still be accessible to the public.