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Mitchell group reviews Corn Palace seat replacements, ADA access and vendor options
Summary
Committee members reviewed three seat models for the Corn Palace, discussed ADA-compliant reconfiguration that would reduce total capacity, compared vendors (U.S. vs. overseas manufacturing), and flagged lead times, materials and maintenance access as decision factors ahead of a council review.
Mitchell meeting participants discussed replacing auditorium seats at the Corn Palace and options to bring the facility into current ADA compliance.
The group compared three chair models from two suppliers: one model supplied through a Sioux Falls distributor and manufactured in China, and another manufactured in the U.S. by a Michigan firm. Both vendors quoted approximately $240 per chair; the U.S.-made chairs have an estimated 8–10 week lead time, while the China-manufactured chairs were described as taking 20–22 weeks. Participants also discussed a third, premium “red” seat as a possible reserved/ticketed option.
The project discussion centered on balancing comfort and legroom, aisle widths and compliance. Participants discussed estimates that current capacity is about 1,770 seats and that the proposed ADA reconfiguration would reduce capacity to about 1,540 — a loss on the order of a few hundred seats — while adding multiple wheelchair-access platforms and companion seats. One diagram discussed would remove 16 seats per side in the back rows, add three wheelchair and three companion seats per side, and thereby net a loss of roughly 10 seats per side in that area.
Staff and members emphasized practical details that will influence a vendor choice: the two chair styles use different metals (the middle-seat option is aluminum and described as unlikely to rust; the back-seat option uses cast iron), armrest and seat widths (current chairs were described as 19–21 inches versus proposed chairs at 20–22 inches), and cup-holder placement (in front of the occupant rather than on the armrest for most rows, with armrest-mounted holders only in the front row). Warranty and maintenance access were also raised: one vendor’s service partner would potentially require a long (reported ~13-hour) drive to address local issues, while the other vendor maintains a closer service relationship through a Sioux Falls partnership.
Committee members encouraged other members of the public to try sample chairs at the Corn Palace before council consideration and noted the architects and chair distributors are working to finalize section-specific drawings. Staff said the item will return to the city council for further review.
Ending: Committee members did not make a final selection at this meeting; staff will bring refined drawings, vendor proposals and any recommended motion to the council at a later meeting.
