South Tahoe High's new bleachers to include press box, handicapped seating

It's been four years since the plans were first started but the end is now in sight for the installation of new bleachers at South Tahoe High.

A bid was awarded during Tuesday's Lake Tahoe Unified School Board meeting to the Southern Bleacher Company of Texas to remove the 49-year old home side stands and install new ones that are ADA compliant and satisfy the snow loads and safety features required by the state.

The new bleachers will have 917 seats, 12 wheelchair areas, and a three room coaches/press box area that will seat 30. The aluminum seating on a steel frame will be sealed so trash will no longer be able to fall under the bleachers as it currently does.

The visitor's side bleachers will remain for the time being. It will be a much easier project to make them ADA compliant in the future.

The project won't start until the week after the STHS graduation. Steve Morales, the District's Director of Facilities, told the Board he had hoped the get the project completed prior to the June celebration at the football stadium but didn't want to risk hoping they'd be done in time. The planned completion date is now August 8.

The $550,000 price tag on the bleacher project is more than originally planned, but with the Department of State Architect (DSA) required upgrades, the cost climbed. $423,000 will come from Measure G funds and the remaining $127,000 is for lighting, and that won't be done at this time.

Morales said they will try and reduce costs during the destruction of the old bleachers by selling the existing system which can be used anywhere but at a California school, or, it can be sold for scrap metal.