Mote Marine Laboratory has narrowed the list of potential firms to design its new aquarium in downtown Punta Gorda to five, and officials say they will likely make their selection by the end of the month.

According to Tom Kerr, a Team Punta Gorda board member who is working for Sarasota-based Mote as a local project coordinator, five Florida firms from a pool of 10 have been picked to begin the interview process. It’s among a series of “first steps” in a three- to four-year process, he said, to bring plans for a state-of-the-art aquarium — complete with a shark tank, education rooms, and possible banquet facility, rooftop bar and gift shop — to fruition.