Lacombe city council has got the ball rolling on a project to build new soccer fields.
Council approved a $743,780 bid on Monday by D.B. Bobcat Services to undertake grading and grass seeding work at the Northwest Recreational Area Soccer Fields.
Six companies bid on the project with D.B. Bobcat submitting the lowest bid. The highest bid was just over $1.5 million.
Matthew Goudy, the city’s engineering services manager, said work is expected to start soon for a mid-May completion.
The project involves grading, compaction and other dirt work. About 100,000 tonnes of dirt is being hauled in to form the base for three soccer fields.
“We’re looking forward to that project being primarily complete by May 15 for the dirt work.”
The fields will then be seeded and should be ready for play in 2014.
Dirt is being hauled from the site where BioRefinex Canada Inc. plans to build a plant that would convert inedible livestock byproducts into fertilizer and energy in an industrial park on the east side of town.
Part of the land sales agreement with the city involves creating a site that is ready to build on, which means removing black soil and other material.
The tender award brings the cost of the first phase of soccer field construction to $892,177. Of that, $300,797 will be funded by the sale of land to BioRefinex.
The soccer fields are being moved to make way for new ball diamonds in the city’s Michener Park. The diamonds are needed because expansion of Fairview Cemetery means other ball diamonds will eventually be lost.
A fourth field will be constructed later when more soil is available.