Public restrooms open in downtown Palm Springs after more than a decade of discussion
When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go… And now, for the first time, people in downtown Palm Springs can “go” to new public restrooms, open for the first time Thursday.
They’re located near the Isabelle statue next to the Kimpton-Rowan hotel, open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. till 10 p.m.
One downtown business owner, Joy Meredith, has pushed the city for public restrooms for more than a decade.
“This was a big one for us that we just never gave up on because our customers , whether it be local or tourists, everybody needs to pee, and now they have a place,” Meredith said.
She sent her first email to city council on the issue in 2006.
“I have been called the queen of toilets,” Meredith said. “I feel silly that I woke up this morning feeling so happy just because we have restrooms downtown.”
The responsibility falls on the city to maintain the restrooms, but they’ve contracted that work out to Grit Development, which owns the building. It’s costing the city $3,000 per month, plus a separate fee to secure the site.
“Definitely overdue and it’s been a long time coming,” said Palm Springs Communications Director Amy Blaisdell. “We’re just thankful that they’re finally ready and I’m sure our merchants are thankful as well.”
Some business owners expressed concerns about safety.
“There are some people that do things inside restrooms besides what you would normally have a restroom for,” Meredith said. “There could be some drug acts in there, there could even be sex acts in there.”
Tourists we spoke with said they’re glad for an easily accessible place to relieve themselves.
“Those are some necessities we don’t normally talk about but when you gotta go you gotta go,” said Brian McCoy. “Having a public access is a great thing.”
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
