Portable bleachers can be towed by a lawn tractor. But cannot be towed on open roads or highways
Incorporating portable bleachers into your new facility planning or current facility renovation is a smart and highly effective strategy for stretching your seating arrangements.
The versatility, low cost and low-maintenance aspects of portable bleachers, along with the opportunity for additional, customized seating options when needed, make them a practical and common-sense choice when planning the layout for your new or renovated arena, venue, field or multi-use complex.
More and more schools, communities, and organizations are including an option for mobile aluminum bleachers in their planning for spectator seating options.
Portable bleachers utilized by Decatur City Schools
Decatur City Schools, located in Decatur Alabama, is showing the value and versatility of putting portable bleachers in their plans for a new sports complex currently under construction for Austin High School.
Portable bleachers with tow kit and wheels
Austin High School has been sharing a complex since 1963, Ogle Stadium, the home field of neighbor and rival Decatur High School.
Ogle Stadium is in the midst of a 1.4 million renovation itself, but this is the year that Austin High School finally gets its own home field and multi-use complex through separate funding.
They're looking forward to starting the upcoming fall football season on their own, newly built, professionally planned complex.
When comparing the rival schools and their complexes, Austin has chosen to build their complex with a capacity of just over 5000 available seats, roughly 3000 seats less than the field at Ogle Stadium, where they are accustomed to playing.
But, within the seating plans for their new facility, they are leaving space and budget for portable bleachers when needed. Portable bleachers will be more economical and useful in their situation because, in addition to the football field, the Austin High School complex includes an all-school, shareable practice field, complete with a running track and on-campus baseball and softball fields.
While constructing a versatile complex, the addition of equally versatile, customizable, seating configuration just makes sense.
It is definitely to the advantage of the facility manager to be able to configure the seating sightlines and capacity options based on the event that is taking place, the field or area that will be hosting the event, and the number of spectators expected.
Smaller venues benefit from the versatility of portable bleachers
At a local parish in Lawrence Kansas, the planning for a new, 8000-square foot gym smartly involved the use of portable bleachers.
With its 3 million dollar investment, St John The Evangelist Catholic Parish decided to outfit their new gym with portable bleachers since the gym itself will be a multi-use structure serving both the school and parish.
Movable bleachers are seen as an asset, because the gym will have the option to be split in half, accommodating simultaneous practices, games, meetings, or organizational events.
Separate spaces will house the reception areas and a full-size catering kitchen. The availability of portable bleachers means they can be maneuvered and configured to match whatever seating is needed for scheduled events, no matter the type.
Portable bleachers have value for more than sports events
Portable bleachers with wheel
Portable bleachers are useful for more than just sporting events. The folks in Muskogee Oklahoma know this first hand while using portable bleachers in the renovation of two old airplane hangars into a new, multi-purpose community complex.
The hangars were originally part of Hatbox Field, a one-time airport that in the 1990's was converted into a community sports complex, named the Love-Hatbox Sports Complex.
These hangars, each measuring 270 by 100 feet, will be totally gutted, restored, connected by a metal building, and transformed for use as initially a livestock show venue, but then available for music events, RV rallies, fairs, festivals, and whatever else one can imagine.
In the planning phase of this half-million-dollar renovation, Parks and Recreation Manager Mark Wilkerson included the acquisition of portable bleachers for the hangars.
Two sets of portable bleachers will provide moveable, portable seating for up to 650 people, with options for configuration and placement
The renovation and repurposing of these buildings have been met with such success and confidence that Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Rick Ewing has said that there are already talks and planning regarding additional phases of construction on the property, and you can bet that portable aluminum bleachers are involved in that planning as well.
Portable aluminum bleachers are consistently a popular choice
- Portable bleachers meet your specific seating capacity needs. Portable aluminum bleachers are versatile in their uses, but with availability in multiple row and seating capacities, as well as stationary or tip and roll options, they will meet the space and capacity requirements of your venue.
- Portable bleachers provide additional seating only when needed. By making use of portable bleachers, you can actually decrease the amount of fixed seating for your venue, releasing that space to be used for other things if needed.
- The portable bleachers can be used, moved, and relocated to areas where they are needed, such as for the possibility of a special, above average attended event, like huge, yearly, rivalry games or games played against those teams with an above-average fan base.
- Portable bleachers can be moved to improve capacity and sightlines. Position your portable bleachers for optimal viewing based on the sport or event that is occurring.
- Prime viewing configuration is based on sightlines and the event flow, and by locating portable bleachers in the right spot, you can make sure you offer all spectators a great view of the action.
- Portable bleachers are easy to install and easy to store. One of the greatest advantages of portable bleachers is the ease of installation, movement, and storage.
- Portable bleachers can be assembled exactly on the spot where they are needed. Assembled and located properly, they can then be left up if needed, or disassembled and safely stored either on site or off site, ready for the next opportunity to be of service, saving space and money.
- If not stored, the portable bleachers may be best used when moved to another field or venue for the next sports season or timeline event, such as graduation ceremonies.
Whether being used for seating capacity at different venues during seasonal sports, or just being brought out for the necessary extra seating that is occasionally needed in your gym, conference center, park grounds, or auditorium, transportable bleachers are the best choice for seating needs at multiple venues with minimal disruptions.
The versatility of portable bleachers should be at the top of the list for any facility planning, renovation, or updating.
Note: When ordering portable bleachers, be sure they come with heavy-duty horizontal steel lifting braces and cross braces for adequate support, plus wheels supplied by the vendor and an integrated hydraulic jack. Also remember, these bleachers can only be moved around your grounds and are not meant to be towed on a public road.
Written by Gerald Dlubala