Uncertainty may be the only sure bet with Roanoke City Council.

Once again changing its mind on a substantial issue, the council voted 4-3 Monday to restart a plan that could lead to the construction of an amphitheater.

The swing vote came from Councilwoman Anita Price, who only two weeks ago was part of a 4-2 majority that voted to remove an Elmwood Park amphitheater from the city's five-year spending plan.

The reversal by Price -- who had twice in the last month voted against moving forward with the amphitheater -- was the fulcrum in the council's abrupt change in course. Price -- who paused hesitantly before casting her vote -- said that while she draws a clear line between the city's "wants" and "needs," she did not "want to close the door on gathering information."

Mayor David Bowers and Councilmen Rupert Cutler and David Trinkle joined Price in voting for the project, while Vice Mayor Sherman Lea and council members Gwen Mason and Court Rosen voted against it.

The vote by no means ensures the amphitheater will be built, and the fact it was so close all but ensures the issue will be debated again in council chambers and perhaps in future elections.

"We are getting ready to subject the city to an expensive drama over a capital project with iffy financials," Mason said.

The vote adds $14.2 million to Roanoke's five-year capital improvements plan, with $1.2 million for architectural and engineering work slated for fiscal 2010 and $13 million for construction scheduled for fiscal 2013.

The $1.2 million will be added to a public hearing this fall on the issuance of nearly $14 million in bonds for a list of capital projects that also includes demolition of the National Guard Armory on Reserve Avenue and potential improvements to Countryside Golf Course.

Beyond that, though, the vote may have confused the issue more than clarifying it. The city originally contracted Charlottesville entertainment firm Red Light Management to study the former Victory Stadium site on Reserve Avenue for an amphitheater, but last fall added Elmwood Park.

And although Red Light's contract is structured for it to provide management services if and when an amphitheater is built, City Attorney Bill Hackworth suggested the contract may have changed enough that it may have to be re-bid altogether.

Even if not, it's unclear whether city officials will be able to get further information on the amphitheater proposal before committing to spend the $1.2 million for architectural and engineering work.

Lea said that uncertainty was just another reason not to move forward with the project.

"With all due respect, it's irresponsible for us to spend millions of dollars on something that we've got to probably study again," Lea said.

Mason said she couldn't support the amphitheater either, calling it a "nice-to-have project" that's competing with a number of "must-have" items needed by the city.

Other council members disagreed, and argued that the city should further investigate the amphitheater project before abandoning it.

"We're trying to get to the real numbers before we put it on the shelf forever," said Trinkle, who was on vacation and absent from the debate two weeks ago.

Trinkle argued that an amphitheater could spur economic development and greatly increase Roanoke's quality of life if done properly.

The council's debate over the issue stretches back years and is connected with the argument over Victory Stadium, which spanned more than a decade. In 2003, the council voted 4-3 to move forward on a plan to build an amphitheater on Orange Avenue. The next year it then voted 4-3 to put that project on hold after then-Councilwoman Linda Wyatt changed her vote.

After more debate, the "For the City" ticket of Trinkle, Mason and Alfred Dowe swept the council elections in 2006 after they pushed for the demolition of Victory Stadium, with an amphitheater to be built in its place.