SPANISH FORT, Ala. — With weeks to spare, at least one City Council member may see one of several city-related resolutions for 2010 realized during Monday’s regular meeting.

“I would like to see us actively proceed in getting the city complex master plan created and the senior center facility construction to begin,” District 5 Councilwoman Mary Brabner said almost one year ago.

It appears Brabner’s wish could move forward as quickly as next week when the council considers a resolution authorizing Mayor Joe Bonner to retain the services of Daphne architectural firm Forrest Daniell and Associates to proceed with the design plans for Phase I of the proposed complex.

“We hope to sign a contract with the architect during the Dec. 6 meeting,” Bonner told members of the Planning Commission during its most recent informal work session.

The advisory committee charged with exploring the feasibility of transforming an 18-acre site at the intersection of highways 72 and 31 into the long-discussed city complex selected Forrest Daniel in July, but city leaders have been keeping a close eye on economic conditions and weighing the city’s needs before moving the project forward.

Bonner also said approving the resolution retaining the firm’s services will only be the first step in a lengthy and calculated process. That’s because he wants the architects to meet one-on-one with individual interests represented in the complex’s rough plans to get a better handle on specific needs that will help increase efficiency by design.

Although long-range plans for the property will eventually create a proper “city center” that focuses services in a centralized location, Bonner said Monday’s action — if any — will authorize Forrest Daniell to proceed only with conceptual designs and more realistic pricing guidelines but no actual construction.

A public charette, for instance, that gives members of the public a chance to brainstorm design concepts that could possibly be incorporated into the final design is one of several factors, Bonner said, that will affect the project’s form and function.

The project, which has been discussed repeatedly since the city’s incorporation in 1993, could include the eventual construction of in no particular order:

r A multipurpose building.

r An administrative building.

r A public works building.

r A Baldwin Rural Area System terminal.

r A post office.

r Two additional buildings to accommodate future growth.

r A recreational area.

Connectivity of services and space have been a driving force behind the project, and Forrest Daniell will be expected to incorporate Smart Growth principles that contain urban sprawl by encouraging town-centered, transit- and pedestrian-oriented design with an emphasis placed on preserving green space while encouraging mixed housing, commercial and retail use.

Bonner cautioned that even if the council approves the architecture firm’s contract Monday, a timetable for the project’s completion will not be set because there are too many economic variables floating about that could disrupt plans.

“We’ve been very careful to move forward with this in a way that allows us to put it on the shelf at any time if we decide it’s not financially responsible,” Bonner said.