Problem

Fennville’s wood-on-steel, telescopic bleachers were installed in the 70’s, and although they had some life left, they were in need of important safety and usability updates. Each section was individually and manually operated, which was a laborious and time consuming process. They also lacked aisles and any sort of ADA provisions, creating a potentially hazardous environment.

Solution

American Athletix tied all of the individual sections together and installed motorized power units to allow the entire bleacher group to extend and retract with the push of one button. We also installed intermediate steps with non-slip treads to fill the previously open space between seats to create safe walkways and improve footing in these high-traffic areas; spectators no longer had to lunge from seat to seat to move up or down.

To further improve safety and comply with building safety codes, we installed mid-aisle “P” handrails in every other row that provided a stable handhold for users. ADA provisions were added by modifying the existing first row of bleachers to accommodate wheelchairs. The finished project resulted in safer equipment that catered to disabled patrons and reduced setup time and manpower.