Victoria city council is moving forward with the proposed location for a new universal access washroom in the 700-block of Broughton Street, steps from Douglas Street.
With a fall 2022 anticipated completion date, the washroom will be operated 24-hours a day and will offer an amenity “much-needed” in the downtown core, according to a city report.
The project comes with a $400,000 price tag—a figure that gave some councillors “sticker shock,” including Coun. Jeremy Loveday.
“But I do think it needs to be expended,” Loveday said.
“Access to public washrooms is a basic human right, and perhaps the most basic human need. They’re also important amenities in terms of making our downtown both a pleasant and hygienic place for people to enjoy.”
Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe echoes Loveday’s comments, noting, “it’s not just one group that we are providing washrooms for.” She says the homeless, taxi and bus drivers, bar crowds and seniors are likely to benefit.
It’s stressed that the cost doesn’t just cover the prefabricated washroom unit—but also construction, technical design and civil engineering.
Half the funds will go towards the washroom itself, with the other half going towards upgrades including a new curb bulge that will be installed along Broughton Street to accommodate the unit.
Two on-street parking spaces will be removed, with a third parking stall converted to a new accessible parking stall, the city says in its report.
During construction, a Kwanzan cherry tree will also be cut down, but staff add that a replacement tree along the 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.
At Thursday’s committee of the whole, city councillors unanimously approved staff’s suggested location for the facility, plus an amendment to the motion.
Before the design is finalized, Coun. Stephen Andrew asked that staff consult with the Accessibility Advisory Committee on accessibility issues and refinements.
The project, first approved by city council back in 2019, saw staff initiate the project in 2020. However, work was then put on hold until 2021 due to COVID-19.
According to the city, the washroom will be similar to the “Langley Loo” on Langley Street—installed in 2012 for $90,000. That facility sees around 500 visits per day and now, staff hopes to “build on that success.”
