The proposed Art Gallery of Saskatchewan is still two years away from being built, but the cost is rising.

The city of Saskatoon has agreed to spend $500,000 for new drawings of an enlarged gallery space with additional parking.

The proposed art gallery at River Landing is to replace the existing Mendel Art Gallery.

Councillor Pat Lorje told CBC News she would prefer to keep the current gallery, but the city has already decided in favour of the proposal for a new one. She also said there should be complete drawings.

"If we're going to build a new Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, we build it right. And we don't just build it for today, we build it for the projected needs of the future," she said.

The new design, which includes an additional 800-metre space for future gallery use and 94 more parking spots underground, is estimated to boost the cost of the building by $8 million. The original estimate was $58 million.

Sheldon Born, general manager of the adjacent Persephone Theatre, welcomed the decision to add more parking.

"This is the key to our long-term success, having sufficient parking so we can attract the many people who want to be involved in arts and culture in Saskatoon," she said.

Money created by parking fees would help pay for the new stalls, she said.

The city has yet to approve a final design for the new gallery.