The Athens City Council Monday approved the first $250,000 installment of a pledged $1 million over four years to the Advanced Technology Robotics Research and Development Complex, announced two weeks ago.

According to Mayor Dan Williams, the city pledged the money a year ago when talks began to lure the center to state land on the Delphi Saginaw plant in south Limestone County. The goal was to help lure automotive manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and others, which rely on robotics.

The center, which also would be used by the space industry and the military for research and development of robotics, is a collaboration between the State of Alabama, the two-year college system, Alabama Industrial Development Training, and robotics industry leaders.

Robotics manufacturers have pledged $42 million in equipment for the center.

Morgan County, Limestone County, the City of Decatur and the City of Athens pledged $1 million each toward the project.

Monday, City Councilman Harold Wales said he has not been assured that Athens will get a return on its $1 million, and said he doesn’t remember ever agreeing to commit the city to $1 million.

“I’m not convinced that this is a good return on our taxpayers’ money,” said Wales in a work session before Monday’s regular meeting.

Councilman Ronnie Marks expressed exasperation at Wales’ seeming to drag his feet on the appropriation, but did concede that the council cannot legally commit appropriations for outside the budget year or for the next council, which will be seated in the fall after August’s municipal elections.

“We are being handed $40 million in robotics for our children, grandchildren and many succeeding generations,” said Marks. “People are coming in here from all over the world. This is the biggest opportunity to ever hit this area. If you’re not for it, then just vote it down.”

However, when it came time to vote on the measure in regular session, it passed unanimously.

Groundbreaking for the first phase, the $14 to 15 million Robotic Maintenance Training Center, should begin in six to eight months with completion expected within 18 months. There is not a timeline for the remaining phases.

The mayor had said that the support of local governments helped the governor decide to locate the center at Calhoun rather than Wallace State Community College, which also was vying for the center.

Gov. Bob Riley said Calhoun met all the requirements, including proximity to Huntsville. Each of the three centers in the complex will target a specific need in the robotics industry. The first plant, Robotic Maintenance Training Center, will be a 40,000-square-foot facility where technicians will be trained to work on robotic machinery. Trainers will be supplied by “top robot builders,” according to the governor. About 450 people are expected to be trained at the facility each year.

The second facility, Advanced Technology Research and Development Center, will be used by the space industry and military for robotics research. NASA and the U.S. Army Missile Command in Huntsville will use the building to conduct research, development and testing Riley said. This part of the campus will include outdoor areas reserved for testing.

The third facility, The Integration and Entrepreneurial Center, will be used by companies to build and adapt robots for new industries.