The race is one to find the best design for the North Hamilton Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ), with the public having the chance to vote for their favourite this week.

The Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC) displayed the work of the six finalists in the Economic Empowerment Zone Agency's (EEZA) Design Competition at the Bermuda Industrial Union's (BIU) multi-purpose hall earlier this week.

The public, EEZ jurors and BSBDC staff were on hand to hear the finalists in the contest deliver their design ideas for the EEZ, with each design being displayed in the hall and each presenter given 15 minutes to tell the audience why their concepts should be voted the best.

The two-and-a-half hour event kicked-off with a welcome speech by EEZA director Erica Smith, before each finalist explained how their designs would help firstly to establish the major and minor gateways throughout the EEZ and secondly to redesign the major entrance into the EEZ from Tills Hill and its connection to the future public park. In each of the two competitions there were laymen competing alongside professional architectural firms.

The participants in the Gateways Competition included: Michael Ferreira, a Bermudian investment broker, who has no formal architectural training; Nina Cotterill, an interior architectural student intern; and Heather Young, a landscape designer.

The Tills Hill Reconfiguration competitors featured: Dennis Bean Sr., and professional architecture firms SHY Architecture and The Studio Ltd.

One attendee said that it was great to see that even someone with no architectural experience could compete with some of the more established firms on the Island.

Mrs. Smith closed the public meeting by encouraging the public to make their voice heard and vote for their favourite design, noting that the public/EEZ stakeholders will account for 50 percent of the scoring of the competition with the jury members making up the other 50 percent.

She said that the public will be allowed to vote throughout the rest of the week, with the finalists' designs remaining on display in the lobby of the BIU from today until Monday.

To vote online, visit the BSBDC website at www.bsbdc.bm