A new universal access washroom could be coming this year to Broughton Street in downtown Victoria, steps from Douglas Street and next to Island Savings Bank.
This Thursday’s committee of the whole will see a report brought forward by the city, requesting that city council approve the proposed location for the prefabricated unit.
“Its proximity to Douglas Street makes for easy wayfinding for tourists and patrons of local businesses, requiring minimal signage to identify the facility,” reads the report.
“The new public washroom will provide an important amenity in an area of the downtown where such facilities are currently limited.”
According to the city, the washroom will be similar to the one on Langley Street installed back in 2012. That facility — often dubbed the “Langley Loo” — sees around 500 visits per day and now, staff hopes to “build on that success.”
The report says the proposed Broughton Street washroom will be operated 24-hours a day, with wheelchair access, an oversized entry door, sharps disposal container, and louvred wall panels.
Should council approve the project, staff estimate construction will take around 12 to 16 weeks with a planned fall 2022 completion date. However, they say supply chain issues could affect the project schedule.
City council first approved the washroom in the 2019 Financial Plan with a budget of $400,000. Staff then initiated the project in 2020, but work was put on hold until 2021 due to COVID-19.
“Over the past year, the city has completed the technical analysis, schematic design and stakeholder engagement which informed the proposed location,” said the report.
A new curb bulge will be installed along Broughton Street to accommodate the washroom, meaning two on-street parking spaces will be removed, with a third parking stall converted to a new accessible parking stall.
During construction, a Kwanzan cherry tree will be cut down, but staff add that a replacement tree along Broughton Street will be planted “to mitigate the loss of this tree.”
The city says the new washroom project will also bring an improved crosswalk and curb ramp, plus replace nearby aging traffic signal equipment.
