FieldTurf Selected for Metrodome Following Bankrup
Minneapolis, MN, Mar. 2--The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC) announced today that it will move forward with the purchase and installation of "FieldTurf." The state-of-the-art artificial turf system will be installed in the Metrodome next month and will be ready when the Twins open the season on April 5.
FieldTurf was selected to provide and install the turf system following the unexpected bankruptcy filing of Southwest Recreational Industries Inc. (SRI), which acquired the contract to replace the Metrodome turf after a competitive bidding process completed last October. The decision to move forward with FieldTurf follows bankruptcy court approval, which was granted today.
FieldTurf, along with SRI's AstroPlay product, emerged as finalists in the MSFC's blind test of 15-feet by 60-feet turf samples conducted last August. The process included five potential vendors and eight potential products, and focused on both price and "playability." At that time, players from the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and the University of Minnesota expressed strong support for both the FieldTurf product and for AstroPlay. The MSFC recommended AstroPlay over FieldTurf because it felt the products were comparable in terms of playability based on the input of the players, while the AstroPlay bid came in at a lower cost.
"We were always certain that new turf would be installed for the Twins' opener," said MSFC Chair Roy Terwilliger. "We've been monitoring the situation since we first learned there was a possibility that SRI might be in financial difficulty, and were confident that FieldTurf could complete the project within our timeframe."
MSFC Executive Director Bill Lester added, "From the outset, we've had two objectives -- to have a state-of-the-art turf system in place for the Twins' opening day, and to protect the public's interest by getting the final product at the best possible price. Both objectives were met."
The Commission actually awarded two turf-related contracts last October, a $717,157 contract with SRI, and a $101,670 contract with Plymouth-based Construction Results Corp. to install a new drainage system on the Metrodome floor. In addition to the new turf, the SRI contract included replacement of the Metrodome warning track. The value of the contract with FieldTurf is $866,157, the same figure it proposed in October 2003. The performance bond SRI was required to provide to the MSFC when the SRI contract was executed will cover a portion of the cost difference between the SRI and FieldTurf bids. Even with the increased cost of FieldTurf, the project remains within its initial budget.
