The new concessions/restrooms building at the soccer area of the Susie Gray McConnell Sports Complex will be the larger of two options the Washington City Council considered during its meeting Monday.

The council voted 4-1 to award a $126,077contract to Paul Woolard Construction to construct the new facility. Voting to award the contract were council members Richard Brooks, Virginia Finnerty, William Pitt and Roland Wyman. Councilman Doug Mercer voted against awarding the contract.

Tom Anglim, a spokesman for the Optimist Club of Washington, which operates a youth soccer program that uses the soccer area, told the council the club would add an additional $5,000 to the $15,000 it had already raised as its contribution to the project. Originally, the city budgeted $75,000 for the project. Other project funding includes $15,295 from the McConnell family and $3,500 from the city’s recreation department. The city puts incurred costs — engineering, disposal of the previous building and relocating electrical utilities — at $5,624.66. To help pay for the larger building, the city will take $17,897 from its fund balance.

The new building would have 1,120 square feet. The alternative building would have 870 square feet. The smaller building that was considered would not have two windows and a service door that the larger building would have

Mercer questioned why the cost per square foot of the smaller building was higher than that of the larger building. Mercer, saying he wanted more detailed information before he could make a decision regarding the two options, suggested tabling the matter until the council’s April 23 meeting.

Patty Peebles, another club representative, preferred an immediate decision so construction of the new building could begin as soon as possible so the new building could be completed by August for its fall soccer program, which is expected to have at least 500 children participating in it. The previous concessions/bathrooms building has been removed, and portable bathrooms are at the soccer area

The council balked at the club’s request to not charge soccer players the fees it charges youth sports participants to use city fields and facilities. Those fees help pay to maintain those facilities. “As part of the proposal we request that the City of Washington not charge our players to use the complex for 5 years and then maintain the $15.00 per player (fee) for the next 5 years to help us recoup the donation that we are making (toward) the new facility,” according to the club’s request.