SPANISH FORT, Ala. — One item noticeably absent from Spanish Fort’s preliminary budget discussions is funding for the city’s proposed city complex.

Mayor Joe Bonner told members of the City Council during a budget work session Friday that careful financial planning, the increased availability of grant funding and the affordability of materials and services in a sour economy negates the need to pull from the operational funds and might even rule out the need to seek financing for the ambitious project.

“There could be a very good opportunity in today’s economy to get a good deal,” he said.

Bonner said he has long advocated putting down at least 20 percent toward total anticipated construction costs of the proposed multi-purpose facility that would house municipal, judicial and community activities under one roof in the city’s center To date the city has set aside $2.3 million toward that downpayment, but initial estimates indicate the entire project might only cost between $4 million and $4.5 million.

“My thinking is that we use this money to get us through a Phase I—get the building designed, get it out there and get a firm price that determines if we’re able to move forward. Once we get to that point, I am confident that with the available grants out there, there is a strong possibility we may not have to finance at all,” Bonner said.

The complex would be constructed on an 18-acre site at the intersection of highways 72 and 31.

In July, the advisory committee exploring the feasibility of constructing the long-discussed city complex selected architectural firm Forrest Daniell and Associates PC to move the project forward.

The Daphne-based firm is charged with creating a plan that addresses the design and function of a multipurpose building; an administrative building; a public works building; a terminal for the Baldwin Rural Area System; a post office; two additional buildings with future uses to be determined; lake/detention with a recreational area; a 100-foot buffer to adjacent neighborhoods; access to the property; parking connectivity and Smart Growth principles. Smart Growth is a growing national trend to contain urban sprawl and revitalize city centers. The movement is town-centered, transit- and pedestrian-oriented and emphasizes mixed housing, commercial and retail use while preserving green space.

Once a contract with Forrest Daniell is finalized with the architect, the advisory board will make a recommendation to the City Council to accept the arrangement, allowing work to proceed.

A timetable for the project does not yet exist, Bonner said, because the architectural firm will be asked to meet individually with representatives of each of the interests jockeying for space in the complex to determine exact needs and specifications for maximizing resources.