The group was chosen from a field of 15 RFP respondents that was narrowed down to six finalists last week. By yesterday, the field had been weeded down to just two teams: The Beyer Blinder Belle partnership and EE&K/URS, a joint venture of local architectural firm Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn and San Francisco-based engineering firm URS Corp.

The selection committee comprised three LMDC members and three PA representatives. The winning group, which is expected to be officially announced tomorrow night at the first LMDC/PA-sponsored public hearing on Downtown redevelopment, will conduct a three-phase study on how to rebuild the Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Under the RFP, the winning team agrees to submit six concepts for the site before the July public forum, which would then be narrowed to three by September. A December unveiling is scheduled for the final plan, though observers say more time may be needed. (Click here to read GlobeSt.com's earlier story.)