Decision allows district to proceed with construction

State Rep. Bronna Kahle and Madison School District Superintendent Ryan Rowe testify before the House Regulatory Reform Committee May 21 about the district’s football stadium renovation project.

State Rep. Bronna Kahle today praised a decision made by the Michigan Construction Code Commission that will allow Madison School District to proceed with plans to build a new press box as part of an ongoing football stadium renovation project.

Kahle, of Adrian, said the district ran into hurdles with the project because press boxes are currently classified as “A-5 structures” in the state construction code, requiring them to have heating systems capable of keeping the interior temperature at 68 degrees. Kahle and Sen. Dale Zorn have been working on a legislative solution to exempt outside viewing areas, such as press boxes, from the burdensome and unnecessary heating requirements.

While the legislation is still pending, Kahle said the Construction Code Commission voted Wednesday to waive the code requirements for the Madison High School press box.

“This is a great victory for Madison schools,” Kahle said. “Work on the project has been at a halt for the past five weeks while the district was awaiting a determination. I’m glad the commission weighed all of the facts and came to a common-sense decision that will allow Madison to move forward with construction.”

Madison Superintendent Ryan Rowe joined Kahle to testify in support of her legislation before the House Regulatory Reform Committee in May.

Rowe said installing a heating system in the stadium’s press box would have resulted in about $250,000 in additional costs.

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