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The city will still install the Nexxfield NextGen Reverse turf that tested well with football and field hockey clubs. In fact, it was the only artificial turf the city tested since it seemed to be the only one that would work for those two sports.

Chenier said Nexxfield and its contractor NMP will install the turf at Minto Field.

Last spring, it was Centaur Products that filed the only bid for the work, offering to install the Nexxfield turf for $1,178,330 before tax.

The city thought the turf swap would only cost about $500,000.

After considering the cost of the only bid, the city abandoned the turf swap in early August.

The field was returned to community use last Monday, but it will soon be closed for the rest of the year for the replacement project.

Chenier said it’s a “creative, innovative and lower cost solution” but he didn’t provide details on how the city was able to knock down the price.

The bulk of the $800,000 will come out of the citywide cash-in-lieu-of-parkland account. Another $100,000 will come out of the cash-in-lieu-of-parkland account for Knoxdale-Merivale ward, where Minto Field is located, and the other $100,000 will come from Barrhaven ward’s cash-in-lieu-of-parkland account.

Those parkland accounts collect money from builders who can’t provide the mandatory park space in new developments. Instead of providing the parks, the builders can pay cash, with 60 per cent of the money put aside for projects specifically for the ward and 40 per cent reserved for citywide projects.