Commonwealth Stadium will soon have artificial turf after a deal between the Edmonton Eskimos and the city Wednesday to share costs. (CBC)Workers will start ripping up the grass at Commonwealth Stadium next week after council unanimously approved a deal Wednesday to split the cost of installing artificial turf with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Commonwealth is the last professional football stadium in Canada with a grass field.

Council was told the artificial turf — estimated to cost $2.6 million — could save about $80,000 a year in maintenance costs.

"A corner was turned when we put good artificial turf, good high quality field turf into Clarke Stadium," said Linda Cochrane, general manager of the city's community services department.

"The players loved playing on it, we know the players loved practicing on it," she said.

The artificial turf will also make it easier to use the stadium for other purposes. The city has scheduled a concert by U2 at Commonwealth for June 23.

"There's a long history of grass at Commonwealth, but it's been there now 30 years and it's pretty compacted there," said Rick LeLacheur, president of the Edmonton Eskimos Football Club.

"That grass gets harder than rock sometimes."

The plan calls for a cushioning pad beneath the turf, an upgrade on what's in Clarke Stadium, and that means the new surface will be a "great track to play on," he said.

The quick start on the work means the new field could be ready by the end of May. Training camp for the Eskimos begins June 6.