The Southlake community recreation center moved a step closer to reality Tuesday with approval of a design contract for the first phase—the senior and community wings.

The $1.623 million contract with Barker, Rinker, Seacat Architecture of Denver covers design of those portions, plus schematic design for phase two. Cost for completion of design for the second phase, the recreation/fitness/aquatics wing, is estimated at $1.786 million.

Design will start Wednesday morning, staff members told the council. The timeline calls for construction to start in August 2014 and completion in September 2015 for phase one. The city has the money—about $13 million—in hand for that phase.

For phase two, voters would have to approve a change in the way the crime control tax is used in a May 2015 election. The change would not require a tax increase.

The council initially had considered approving $3.2 million all at once for the design of both phases, and finishing the whole project in November 2016.

But members decided to split the design costs in two because an election is required.

"How comfortable are we putting out $1.6 or 7 million on an item that's not going to be voted on until May?" asked council member Randy Williamson.

Under the schedule approved Tuesday, design for phase two starts in August 2015, construction in September 2016 and completion is predicted in December 2017.

The overall cost of the project is estimated now at $46.4 million. Under the original plan, the cost was estimated at $44.6 million. City staff members factored in another 3.89 percent or $1.7 million for later completion, to account for rising costs.