Council approves Kimley‑Horn contract to begin Town Hall Plaza design; restroom, turf and fountain decisions deferred

The Southlake City Council approved an engineering services agreement with Kimley‑Horn and Associates to begin design work for the Town Hall Plaza project in Ruston & Family Park, voting 7‑0 on June 3.

The contract authorizes schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction‑phase services for a not‑to‑exceed amount of $1,775,370. Funding for the contract was identified in the FY25 SPDC capital improvements budget and is drawn from sales tax‑supported SPDC funds, City staff said.

Director Miller told council the contract covers both site infrastructure (underground utilities, drainage, pond and retaining wall repairs, conduit for audiovisual and Wi‑Fi, food‑truck pads, bollards for special‑event street closures) and the above‑ground design elements (pavilion, fountain, shade structures and a flexible Main Street for events). "Passage of this item does not require any final decision on design elements at this time," Director Miller said, noting that design decisions such as turf versus natural grass, restroom buildings and exact fountain choice will come back to council at future decision points.

Kimley‑Horn’s scope includes public communication and stakeholder meetings with Downtown businesses and property owners. The contract includes a 15 percent design contingency to address unanticipated conditions during design, staff said. In preliminary discussion, staff estimated that designing only the underground utilities for a restroom (but not the above‑ground restroom structure) would reduce the contract work by roughly 5 percent, or about $80,000–$85,000.

Councilmembers asked staff and the consultant about timing and whether the full suite of options should be designed now and shelved later if council chooses not to build certain elements. Councilmember discussion reflected two positions: several members said they wanted the council to see full conceptual designs, including restroom options, so elected officials and residents could make an informed choice later; others urged caution about spending for full above‑ground designs that might not be built, especially the public restroom option.

SPDC reviewed the contract earlier the same day and recommended advancing the agreement to council for approval. Director Miller said the project’s first formal decision point — the 30 percent design package — is expected in late summer or early fall.

What the contract covers (high level): underground utility upgrades for electrical and AV/Wi‑Fi, new food‑truck pads with utilities, pond and retaining‑wall work, bollard and Main Street event infrastructure, larger pavilion, redeveloped fountain (medium size option directed by council earlier), shade and seating, options for above‑ground restrooms or an alternate mechanical/IT space, and final construction documents and bidding support.

Funding: staff confirmed the design contract is funded from the SPDC capital improvements budget (sales tax). Additional construction costs, if council elects to build features such as above‑ground restrooms or a larger fountain, will require a separate appropriation and will come back to council for approval.