The Kennedale City Council voted unanimously Aug. 5 to authorize the city manager to contract for the 50% design phase of the City Sports Complex with a design‑build team, with an $87,500 fee to complete the 50% design work.

The motion, as adopted, authorized the city manager to enter a contract for design services with Speed Fab Crete and Callahan & Freeman Architects, subject to legal review, to carry the project to a 50% design level and enable the team to provide a guaranteed maximum price for construction. The motion passed by voice vote with the clerk recording the result as unanimous 4–0.

What the authorization does: City Manager Daryl and the city attorney explained that the council was approving a two‑phase design‑build approach. Phase 1 (authorized Aug. 5) is a design contract that takes the schematic plans to a 50% design level; phase 2 would be a construction contract issued only after the design team provides a final scope and a guaranteed maximum price that fits the city’s bonding limits. "At 50% of the design, they will be able to give us another contract detailing exactly what we're spending up to a max of $3,000,000," the city manager said.

Design rationale and budget context: The city manager and Callahan & Freeman’s Alan Huckaby told council that the preliminary drawings presented to the council were prepared with the 2023 bond authorization — about $3 million for the complex — in mind, and that the drawings include a shopping‑list approach so the city can pick options that fit the budget. "We've provided a drawing that lists out a lot of things… we know that, once that's priced out, you're going to make some choices," Huckaby said. Speed Fab Crete’s representative, Mitch Onzick, described the contract as a typical two‑phase design‑build agreement and told the council the 50% design is the point at which civil engineering and a firm cost estimate can be provided.

Council concerns and clarifications: Council members pressed for clarity on the dollar limits for the design phase and for assurance that the total project would be presented within the $3 million bond allocation. Several council members said they did not want design work to proceed toward a construction plan whose price would exceed the bond. The city attorney advised that the council could require legal review and include limits in the authorization; the motion the council adopted included the phrase "subject to legal review." City staff said the design fee is included as part of the overall project budget and the intent is to design within the $3 million allocation.

Formal action recorded: The city manager requested authorization to spend $87,500 on the 50% design phase. Council member Jeff Neres made the motion and another council member seconded; the motion passed 4–0. Staff said they will return to council with a 50% design and a recommended construction contract (guaranteed maximum price) for council approval before committing to construction.

Why it matters: The 50% design is the milestone that will allow the city to evaluate trade‑offs (lighting, fencing, pavilions, grading and utilities) and to decide whether the schematic plans can be completed within the 2023 bond allocation. The council emphasized that it will control final project scope and costs when staff returns with firm numbers.

Provenance: The discussion and vote are recorded in the council meeting minutes and transcript for the Aug. 5, 2025 Kennedale City Council special budget meeting.