Mitchell Council hears competing seating proposals for Corn Palace; decision due in weeks

Mitchell — The Mitchell City Council heard two competing presentations and one alternate proposal on replacing fixed seating in the Corn Palace on Feb. 4, with council members asking staff to return with a recommendation and seeking additional side-by-side samples before a formal vendor selection.

Manufacturers and dealers from Hussey/Combined Building Specialties and Erwin (also styled “Irwin” during parts of the meeting) described product options, warranty terms, mounting choices and lead times, and responded to questions about ADA access, row spacing and potential impacts on seat counts. Prices presented publicly ranged from about $345,419 to $387,000 depending on model and upholstery choices; councilors said they intend to decide within roughly two to three weeks so an installation could take place this fall if possible.

The matter matters because current chairs are narrow and limit aisle clearances, council members and seating experts said. Brian Olinger of Combined Building Specialties, representing Hussey Seating for the local bid, emphasized durability and low-profile closed dimensions for his “Fusion” chair, saying the design “gives you the amount of space that you’re going to get when the chair’s in a seat is in a down position.” Mike Slater of Hussey stressed local support through the Sioux Falls dealership and local installer availability. Kevin Schultz of Erwin Seating Company said his firm manufactures in Grand Rapids and Altamont and highlighted domestic supply chains and a roughly 10-week manufacturing lead time for standard orders.

Council members and the mayor focused questions on three trade-offs: (1) seat width versus aisle clearance, (2) padded/upholstered seats that reduce clear walking space, and (3) where to locate upgraded seating (mixing premium and standard seats by section). Jeff Logan, Corn Palace maintenance supervisor, advised councilors on mounting and maintenance considerations; he recommended riser-mounted seats for easier cleaning and maintenance.

Key technical and budget details discussed publicly: - Row spacing in the Corn Palace is 32 inches from back-of-seat to back-of-seat; presenters said modern stadium practice ranges from roughly 36 to 42 inches, and a 32-inch tread constrains options for larger seats. - The Hussey/Combined Sourcewell quote for a padded Fusion configuration with cup holders, logo stanchions and 3% attic stock was presented as about $387,000 (includes taxes and installation). The presenter said the quote assumed approximately 1,612 seats (preliminary) with adjustments for ADA locations. - The Erwin (Irwin) quote for a VIP-upholstered Patriot-style layout was shown at about $345,419; Erwin said the standard (non-upholstered) Patriot can reduce the closed seat envelope and gain walking space and that manufacturing lead times are about 10 weeks for domestically built models. - Warranty offers varied: Hussey/Combined cited a limited lifetime structural warranty with multi-year warranties on other components plus 3% maintenance stock; Erwin offered a five-year warranty (excluding upholstery, per the upholstery supplier terms) and noted readily available replacement parts.

Council direction and next steps: councilors and staff agreed not to make a vendor decision that night. Instead they asked staff to: - Arrange two-seat, front-to-back sample installations (one from each finalist) so councilors and staff may test legroom and circulation in the building as installed; several councilors requested these be installed and labeled so the public and staff can compare. - Confirm final seat counts, ADA locations and any rail fabrication schedule in coordination with architect Kevin Genslinger (Civerella) and to include any required railing or code upgrades in the project timeline and total cost estimate. - Include the purchase in a supplemental appropriation ordinance for 2025 (staff suggested funding from unspent 2024 funds), and provide a total project cost that includes removal, floor patching and any refinishing or epoxy work the council wants done after seat removal.

Council members discussed surplus options for the existing chairs — selling them as memorabilia, auctioning via Purple Wave or offering limited “in‑honor” purchases to help offset costs — and asked staff to evaluate whether removal and patching can be done by city maintenance or would require contractors.

No formal motion to award a contract was made. Several councilors signaled a preference for keeping as much of the work local as feasible and for maximizing 21–22 inch seats where physically possible; others emphasized the practical constraint imposed by the building’s 32‑inch row spacing.

The council set an internal timeline to decide in the coming weeks to meet installation windows this fall. Staff will return with sample installations, a final seat/layout count tied to the architect’s ADA plan, a recommended vendor and a supplemental-appropriation funding recommendation.

Quotes used in this article come from presentations in the Feb. 4 Mitchell City Council meeting: “we are a family owned, family focused company” (Kevin Schultz, Erwin Seating Company), and “we have a Fusion chair…that gives you the amount of space” (Brian Olinger, Combined/Hussey).