Recent visitors to Vancouver’s Marshall Park may have noticed three new sleek public restrooms in place of the former portable toilets.
Manufactured by The Portland Loo, the new restrooms are designed to prevent crime, including vandalism and illegal drug use. They feature rounded anti-graffiti wall panels, open grating and easy-to-clean coating.
The open grating enables you to see if people are inside and allows for air ventilation but also provides privacy. The Portland Loos meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and are free to the public.
The park also has a new drinking fountain with a water bottle refill station.
“(This) is a great resource for all the sports leagues that meet at Marshall Park,” Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services spokeswoman Melody Burton said. “We will also be adding a new light and a bike rack shortly to finish up that park project.”
The city of Vancouver generally provides public restrooms at community parks. Community parks are larger than neighborhood parks and offer recreation amenities like sports courts, larger playgrounds, picnic shelters and water features.
“People are more likely to travel some distance from their homes in order to use these amenities at a community park, so restrooms are an important feature,” Burton said.
The city first installed Portland Loos at Vancouver Waterfront Park in 2018.
After monitoring use at Waterfront Park, park planners and maintenance staff felt that Portland Loos were an overall improvement from previous park restroom designs, which was backed up by positive comments from the community, Burton said.
“Since 2020, we have started using Portland Loos when new community parks are built, or when existing restrooms need to be replaced,” she said.
Vancouver Waterfront, Esther Short and Marshall parks each have three Portland Loos. Nikkei Park has one, and one is slated to arrive in Oakbrook Park in 2025.
The cost of each Portland Loo is currently $166,000 including sales tax, plus $50,000 to $60,000 for installation, according to Burton. Installation costs vary on the needs of the site and whether it is already set up with plumbing.
The installation for three Portland Loos was just under $50,000 at Esther Short Park and Marshall Park, Burton said.
