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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council accepted a proposal for new grandstands and a press box at Chelsea High School during a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 18.

During the meeting, Chelsea council approved a resolution to accept a proposal by Toadvine Enterprises for Chelsea High School grandstands and press box in the amount of $1,473,871 and authorized payment of the 30 percent required to order materials.

“This new grandstand, on what is currently the visitors side, is something that’s been talked about for years and years and years,” Mayor Tony Picklesimer said. “For us to get to do that so quickly is really just a milestone, and it is a credit to the council for their vision to see it.”

The new grandstands will be located where the visitor side of the football stadium is and the current home side will be turned into the new visitor side

“The athletic departments (and) head coaches—they’re all ecstatic about it,” Picklesimer said. “It will be one of the nicest grandstands in all of Shelby County.”

Shane Sibert of Toadvine Enterprises was present at the council meeting and shared information on the project.

According to Sibert, the proposed project is a 31 row, 198 feet long grandstand that has a VIP section of seats that sits 480 seats. Total seating capacity is projected to be around 2,850.

The proposal is contingent upon the start and delivery of materials on May 1, 2024. Sibert said they expect a five-week install but that is the worst-case scenario.

Being a Chelsea High School graduate, and also having played football for his alma mater, Sibert found this project to be an extra special one.

“My goal anytime we do a project like this is to make it a state-of-the-art, higher-grade product than what you see from any of our competitors,” he said. “And I believe that what we’re building here at Chelsea High School is really going to be the envy of all of our opponents.”

In other news, the Chelsea council approved a resolution to authorize the mayor to sign the cooperation agreement with Shelby County required for participation in the Shelby County Urban County Program and any additional  HUD’s CDBG program paperwork needed.

Chelsea City Council also approve a resolution to authorize the mayor to sign a memorandum of agreement and accept the quote from C&W Concrete to implement a sidewalk from Brook Chase Estates Subdivision to Forest Oaks Elementary School.

The next regularly scheduled Chelsea City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. A livestream of the meeting can be found online at Facebook.com/ChelseaCityHall.