Despite a shortfall of more than $50 million in their infrastructure plan, Palo Alto officials on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to contribute $7 million for the reconstruction of the Junior Museum and Zoo.

By a unanimous vote, the City Council formalized its agreement with the nonprofit Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Miseum and Zoo and agreed to spend more than $3.3 million in the coming year to assist with the reconstruction. This includes about $2 million for the reconfiguration of the parking lot in the popular Rinconada Park facility, as well as funding for utility and plumbing work and for relocating the zoo to Cubberley Community Center during construction.

In addition to the $3.3 million that the city has already been budget for the zoo's reconstruction this year, the council also committed Monday to identifying an additional $3.8 million in the coming two years to help pay for museum exhibits, fixtures, equipment and improvements on the west end of the park.

The Friends group is footing most of the construction, having recently raised $25 million in private funds for the effort.

Though council members generally supported the zoo's reconstruction, some raised concerns about committing funds at a time of uncertainty for the city's infrastructure plan, which includes two garages, two fire stations, a new public-safety building and a bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101, among other items. With the costs rising, the plan has an estimated budget shortfall of about $56 million.

Given the budget uncertainty, council members Tom DuBois and Karen Holman proposed considering the future $3.8 million contribution in the context of a broader discussion about the city's infrastructure needs. Holman noted that this is "an incredibly unprecedented time in terms of cost of development," while DuBois said he was concerned about the city's infrastructure plan being "well above budget."

DuBois' proposal to consider the project in the context of other infrastructure projects ultimately fell by a 3-6 vote, with only Holman and Lydia Kou joining him.

Other council members pointed to the Friends' group's fundraising success and argued that, even with the $7 million contribution, the city is getting a bargain. Councilman Cory Wolbach, the council's liaison to the Junior Museum and Zoo, said the project "embodies some of the core Palo Alto values: science, education, culture, nature and imagination."

"It's a lot of money that the city is putting in, but it's definitely worth it," Wolbach said. "And the amount the community is putting in is the larger share."

Councilman Greg Scharff said he was "amazed" by the Friends' group's success in raising money and steering the project through the city's planning pipeline. He argued that any hesitation in committing city funds to the project could delay construction, which is currently scheduled to start in the spring.

The project, he said, is a "great use of city funds."

"It's easy not to make something happen in Palo Alto," Scharff said. "It's really hard for all the pieces to come together, to go through all the boards and commissions, and then come to the council and get it done."

Aletha Coleman, president of the Friends group, said in a statement that the board is "honored to make the new Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo a reality for future generations of children and their families."

"The improved JMZ will continue to provide exceptional early-science programs that inspire a love of science and nature, as it has done for more than 80 years," Coleman said.