Latest news with #PortlandLoos'
Time of India
04-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Why NYC's $185k smart Portland Loos ended up costing $1 million each and still saved millions
New York City has introduced a new wave of sleek, prefabricated public restrooms across its five boroughs, part of Mayor Eric Adams ' ambitious 'Ur In Luck' initiative to improve park bathroom access. While the new 'Portland Loos' cost just $185,000 per unit to manufacture, the total installation price came to nearly $1 million each. The extra $815,000 is due to extensive infrastructure upgrades, including water and electrical line extensions, foundation work, and landscaping. Also Read: Who was Sophia Hutchins? Caitlyn Jenner's close confidante dies in Tragic ATV accident by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gujarat Mosquito Crisis Solved by Strange New Device (See How) Mosquito Eliminator Read More Undo The new restrooms have been placed at Irving Square Park in Brooklyn, Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx, Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan, Hoyt Playground in Queens, and Father Macris Park in Staten Island. Live Events These are part of a broader plan to build 46 new public restrooms and renovate 36 existing ones over the next five years. Although the $1 million cost per restroom may raise eyebrows, it's still far cheaper than the traditional restrooms typically built in NYC parks, which can run between $3.5 and $5 million. This cost saving comes largely from the decision to use the Portland Loo , a prefabricated stainless-steel unit designed for durability, safety, and easy maintenance. The Looses are manufactured by Madden Fabrication in Portland, Oregon, and arrive at the site nearly complete, reducing the on-site construction time and cost. The Portland Loo design includes safety features such as grating at the top and bottom for visibility and ventilation, graffiti-resistant walls, exterior hand-washing stations, and solar panel compatibility. Also Read: Just one hot dog a day may increase risk of diabetes and colorectal Cancer, researchers warn They're ADA-accessible, family-friendly, and designed to operate in all seasons with full utility hookups. Despite their smart design, the Loos are intentionally low-tech inside to discourage misuse and reduce the likelihood of maintenance issues. Evan Madden, CEO of Madden Fabrication, told amNY that working with New York City posed unique challenges due to complex regulations and review processes, including requiring a Department of Buildings-approved fabricator. Overcoming these bureaucratic hurdles contributed to the project's final cost. Mayor Adams said the importance of the project in making the city's public spaces more accessible and enjoyable. 'Let's be honest, when nature calls, New Yorkers shouldn't have to cut their fun short,' he said in the press brief. 'These new, sleek bathrooms will ensure New Yorkers can spend more time in parks without worrying about where to go when they have to go.' Also Read: Knife, gloves, fake suicide note: Inside the chilling murder plot by 10-year-old school girls in Arizona The city has also added a new layer to Google Maps to help residents locate public restrooms more easily. This initiative comes in response to the city's long-standing bathroom shortage, currently offering only one public restroom for every 7,800 residents. The goal is to increase that number to one for every 2,000 residents within the next decade.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Five ‘futuristic' new toilets debut at NYC parks, costing city $1M a pop: ‘A little steep'
They're flushing millions down the toilets. The city dumped a whopping $5 million to install five new stainless steel toilets at public parks — even though the futuristic pods sell at a relatively cheap retail value of about $185,000. The 'Portland Loos' cost $1 million each with 'additional site specific costs' that included related plumbing, electrical and pavement work that went along with the installation, officials said — but some Big Apple residents said the price tag is totally loo-dicrous. 'That frustrates me,' said Bushwick resident Tiv Adler, 29, at Irving Square Park in Brooklyn on Thursday. 'I wish we could reallocate that money to more resources for the public.' Advertisement But others said when you gotta go, you gotta have somewhere to go — even though the pod at Hoyt Playground was locked Thursday afternoon. 'At this point, I feel like we should actually be able to use it,' said Valeria Martinez, 23, who called the initiative a 'waste of money.' 'I think it'll probably take around a month or two for it to be gross, and be locked again probably,' she added. The new toilets are part of a long-awaited $6 million pilot program, according to City Hall. Other sports where the facilities have been installed are Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx, Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan and Father Macris Park in Staten Island. Advertisement 7 Five new 'futuristic' stainless steel public toilets were unveiled at parks across the city Tuesday, each costing taxpayers about $1 million per John, city officials said. NYC Parks 'Let's be honest, when nature calls, New Yorkers shouldn't have to cut their fun short,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. 7 The jail cell-like pods, dubbed 'Portland Loos,' were doled out to five neighborhoods identified as having insufficient public bathroom access as part of a long-awaited $6 million pilot program. Stephen Yang Advertisement 'We're proud to be rolling out our new, sleek bathrooms across all five boroughs, which will ensure New Yorkers across our city can soak up more of the sun this summer with friends and loved ones without having to worry about where to go when they have to go.' 7 Bushwick resident Tiv Adler called the million-dollar price tag 'surprising.' Stephen Yang The new locations were chosen in neighborhoods that needed some relief with more options for restrooms and many saw the cost as worth it. 'I think public restrooms are a huge issue,' said Williamsburg resident Mike Graffiti, 27. 'Does a million sound a little steep? Yeah … there's a lot of other factors that come into it, where it's just expensive to do things in New York City because that's how it is.' Advertisement 7 The new Portland Loo in Irving Square Park in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Stephen Yang But even the most optimistic New Yorkers were concerned about the cleanliness of the Portland Loos, first used in 2008 by the city in Oregon. 7 Astoria resident Valeria Martinez, 23, pointed out that the kiosk at Hoyt Playground was locked Thursday afternoon — rendering the stall a 'waste of money.' Stephen Yang 'Will it stay clean? We don't know,' said Bushwick local Elise Verstraete, 39. 'If they lock it at night, it may be, and as long as they maintain it. 'No one [bathroom] is ever that clean,' Verstraete added. 'Plus, with the amount of homeless people that trickle in here in the evening, I believe they close [the park] down at night so that might be a good preventative measure, but I don't think that's going to stop it.' The 'deluxe' pods include a baby changing station, anti-graffiti walls, angled louvers for officials to monitor criminal activity. 7 'Will it stay clean? We don't know,' said Bushwick local Elise Verstraete, 39. Stephen Yang The facilities can also be connected to full utilities for year-round use, are ADA-accessible and are designed to last decades, if maintained properly. Advertisement 7 The Portland Loos, first used in 2008 by the city in Oregon, cost about $1 million per site plus 'additional site-specific costs,' City Hall said. Stephen Yang The new potties are part of Adams' June 2024 'Ur In Luck' initiative, which aims to expand public bathroom access citywide with nearly 50 new public bathrooms slated to be built and an additional 36 existing facilities set to be renovated through 2029. The news comes as a bill passed by City Council earlier this year directed officials to come up with a plan to add at least 2,120 public bathrooms to the city by the year 2035 — half of which would be publicly owned. The Big Apple only has about 1,100 public toilets for its 8.6 million residents, bill sponsor council member Sandy Nurse said at the time — or about one toilet per 7,800 residents.
