Photo: City of Kelowna

Current outdated washroom at Boyce-Gyro

It's not the Taj Mahal of bathrooms, but it's money well spent.

That according to city staff and many on Kelowna council.

Council agreed, in a 5-1 vote, to spend $674,000 on a new 11-stall washroom facility at Boyce-Gyro Beach Park.

"When you are looking at a facility that has a 50-year life span that is of industrial-commercial standard for high volume use with crime prevention designs, it's worthwhile moving forward," said acting mayor Tracy Gray.

The new building, at the centre of the park, will replace an outdated washroom built in 1969.

"When I look at this, and see that a renovation is going to be $350,000, and we still have the same old ugly building, and it only has a 20-year life span, I can easily support the $674,000 to construct a new building that gives us a best class washroom facility in our premier beach park in the city," said Coun . Gail Given.

"I have no problem supporting that."

Coun. Mohini Singh questioned staff on the cost, saying she had a number of calls from citizens concerned about spending so much on a bathroom.

Parks and buildings planning manager Robert Parlane agreed a lot of comparisons have been drawn with the washroom at City Park which was panned by local residents when it was constructed.

Parlane said the actual cost of the City Park facility was $575,000, not the $800,000 often cited.

"If we are looking to emulate that in today's dollars, that would be $783,000. That building is 886 square feet, which is smaller than we are proposing, and has seven washroom stalls. The cost of that was $884 a square foot," said Parlane.

"Boyce-Gyro, we are building something that is 20 per cent larger, and we're putting in 11 washrooms, approximately two-thirds more. Our construction cost is $575 per square foot. That's 35 per cent less than City Park."

He added the washroom at City Park, and others like it offer a design and layout that have cut down on a lot of vandalism and other common problems associated with park washrooms.

The washroom facility, which will include men's, women's and universal washrooms, will also be built to stay open 12 months a year, something he says is important to many year-round park users.

Coun. Charlie Hodge was the lone dissenting voice on council.

"I have a very hard time swallowing the pill that says $674,000 for a washroom, 11 stalls or not. I know times have changed, but I'm looking at toilets not the Taj Mahal," said Hodge.