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A new chapter for the Ontario Science Centre is moving forward at Ontario Place, as the Province has released final designs and awarded a fixed-price $1.04 billion contract to deliver the long-planned waterfront facility. The 400,000 ft² complex will be delivered through a design-build-finance-maintain agreement between Infrastructure Ontario and private partners Ontario Science Partners, a consortium led by Agentis Capital Advisors, Amico Infrastructures, Sacyr Construction, and John Laing Ltd. The New York office of Norway's Snøhetta is the Design Architect, partnered with Toronto's Hariri Pontarini Architects. The contract includes a 30-year maintenance term, intended to address long-term building upkeep alongside capital delivery.
The announcement was made today at Ontario Place, where Premier Doug Ford was joined by Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and John Carmichael, Chair of the Ontario Science Centre Board of Trustees. Planned to open as early as 2029, the project will replace the former Don Mills home with a structure connected to Ontario Place's existing pods and a revitalized Cinesphere via an extended elevated walkway.
The campus would centre on a contemporary 400,000 sq ft, four-storey mainland building accommodating exhibitions, flexible learning environments, and expanded workshop space, somehow delivering more area dedicated to programming than the former 550,000 sq ft facility. Ontario Place's existing pods would be restored and retrofitted as fully modernized science and ancillary use environments.
The Cinesphere would undergo interior and exterior enhancements, and updates to its IMAX theatre systems. Seating capacity in the Cinesphere would be double compared to the former OMNIMAX theatre at the Science Centre’s previous site. The new facility is planned to meet current accessibility standards and pursue Rick Hansen Foundation accessibility certification.
“The new Science Centre will be located in a state-of-the-art, fully accessible facility with... modern, light-filled spaces with views of Toronto’s waterfront and skyline,” said Ford.
Beyond the architecture, the Province is pitching the new location as a renewal of the Science Centre’s educational mandate. The expanded facility would host hands-on exhibitions, workshops, and interactive programming, with broadened opportunities for experiential learning. An interim 86,000 sq ft Harbourfront Centre location is set to open this summer.
“Today’s announcement is truly a milestone moment for the Ontario Science Centre and for our province,” said Board Chair John Carmichael, adding that the institution now has “a bold and vibrant future here at the heart of the reimagined Ontario Place.” Cho noted that, “For more than 55 years, the Science Centre has been one of Ontario’s most valued cultural and public assets… and now it’s time to turn our attention to the next 55 years.”
The new Science Centre forms one component of a sweeping redevelopment of Ontario Place. Plans call for more than 50 acres of publicly accessible open space, including expanded green areas, lakeside walking and cycling paths, playgrounds, interactive water features, and new urban beaches connected by boardwalks and bridges. The East Island is slated to accommodate family-oriented activity zones and event spaces, while the marina would be modernized with upgraded boat slips and adjacent public gathering areas.
The RBC Amphitheatre, the redevelopment of the Budweiser Stage, is set to operate as an all-season venue with increased capacity. Therme Group’s spa and waterpark facility on the West Island. Additional elements include a revitalized marina precinct, and new event spaces. The broader site is being coordinated with major transit investments, including the western terminus station of Ontario Line 3, now under construction next to an expanded Exhibition station which will also see increased GO train service.
“The revitalized Ontario Place will attract up to six million visitors per year, create 5,700 jobs and add $420 million to Ontario’s GDP during construction,” said Ford. “This will be built by Ontario workers, using Ontario steel, lumber and other products wherever we can, so Ontario tax dollars support Ontario workers.”
During the question period, Ford was pressed on the decision to close the former Don Mills facility. “As the premier, I’m not taking a chance,” he expressed, adding that “those same roof designs have collapsed in many places around the world. It’s unsafe.” Addressing suggestions that the original building could have been retained or rebuilt, he argued that “to tear it down and try to rebuild it would probably take twice as long.”
Questions also turned to the planned parking structure at Ontario Place. “It’s going to generate a massive amount of income… hopefully a majority will take transit, but a lot will park,” Ford said. Groundbreaking for the new facility is expected this spring.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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