SPOKANE, Wash. — If you visit one of Spokane’s 87 parks with your family, you might notice many steering clear of the bathrooms, as many of them are in need of major repair.
According to the City of Spokane, many park bathrooms need significant help, with over a third requiring major renovations and some facilities already failing completely. Spokane’s Park and Natural Land Master Plan states restroom upgrades as a key priority for the community.
City records reveal the scope of the problem across the park system. Twenty-one restrooms have been identified for complete replacement, while 18 need major renovations to extend their useful lifespan. The remaining facilities require various levels of maintenance and updates.
“I tend to avoid them if I can,” said Robert Langlois, who was visiting Audubon Park with his daughter on Sunday. “I would say they’re kind of gross, but most of the time they do keep the toilets themselves clean. But I still wouldn’t sit down on the toilet if I didn’t have to.”
When asked if he would let his daughter use the park restrooms, Langlois was direct in his response.
“No, no not really,” he said.
Some of Spokane’s park bathrooms are housed in historic buildings, like the facility at Audubon Park. The park report suggests these older restrooms should be closed and replaced with new facilities while preserving the historic buildings themselves.
Other bathrooms that may not appear as old still require replacement for various reasons. The restroom at Shadle Park, for example, needs replacement due to vandalism and because it’s inadequate for the size of park it serves.
“I’ve seen them get vandalized horribly. Not to put myself out there, but I had vandalized them when I was a child,” Langlois admitted. “So yeah, I know they could definitely use a good upgrade.”
The bathroom evaluations come ahead of a park board meeting this coming week, where city officials will decide on funding a study to further assess restroom needs, designs and strategies for completing the necessary work.
The timing is strategic. The city aims to prepare for improvements now so that if the Together Spokane levy passes, park restroom upgrades can begin shortly after funding becomes available.
For more information on the bathrooms in your local park, click here for the full Parks and Recreation Department Restroom Renovation Projects report.
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