Photo: City of Kelowna

A new, mobile washroom isn't expected to hit downtown until the spring.

A new mobile, pop-up washroom, expected to be operational this fall, won't be up now until the spring.

Director of community safety Lance Kayfish told Castanet News it took longer than anticipated to get the detailed design work done just right.

He said the washroom could have been complete and delivered in the "dead of winter," but decided it would be best to wait until spring.

"We wanted to make sure this is a washroom that's going to be inviting and accessible for everyone, that we are able to maintain it, and it was going to be safe and easy to monitor," said Kayfish.

Kayfish said the city has hired Secure-Rite, a Kelowna company, to design and construct the washroom.

"It will be done in a shipping container format," he said.

"They are bringing their shipping container expertise to this, and we feel we have come up with a really good cost-effective design. It just took us a little longer to feel comfortable with the design."

Design and construction will come in at about $80,000.

The washroom will be located next to the Queensway transit station near where a security pavilion had been slated to go.

It will be hooked up directly to sewer, water and power, making it easy to move if the city feels it wants to try a different location, or there is a need elsewhere.

"There are lots of places where you want to put a permanent washroom facility, but this is one where we can test what the washroom usage is, what the acceptance is, how it works with that space.

"We could leave it there for an extended time or move it, but it will help us establish what the need for a permanent washroom is there."

The facility will include two fully functioning washrooms, and will be staffed full-time during operating hours through People Employment Services, who use people with lived experience.

They will be situated in a separate, smaller facility which could, in the future, also include some form of retail operation such as a coffee kiosk.