It’s a hefty price tag, but it’s an unavoidable cost when it comes to new outdoor public park washrooms in the City of Delta.
A recent story in the Optimist about council’s approval to award a $597,671 contract to replace the washroom facility at Ladner Lions Park raised some eyebrows, prompting people to question the cost.
The awarded contract was the lowest of the six bids received as the highest came in at $959,309.
The replacement has been designed with four universal single-occupancy stalls, with accessibility features and robust construction materials to minimize damage from vandalism, a Delta staff report notes.
Noting washrooms are designed and built to last up to 50 years, Parks, Recreation and Culture Director Carmen Gonzalez told the Optimist it’s the industry cost to build such structures.
“These are essentially industrial, institutional-like buildings. They’re built to be very robust for vandalism and tend to have a very long lifespan. It can be upwards of 50 years that these facilities are in operation. They really have to have that robust, resistant construction with mostly stainless steel toilets and sinks and concrete block construction. Because of how robust and industrial those facilities are, unfortunately, this is the industry pricing,” said Gonzalez.
On top of the construction costs, an additional expense includes the design.
Council last year awarded a contract for the design and construction administration of new washroom buildings at Memorial Park and at Ladner Lions Park, a contract costing $120,151.
The total cost including construction for the projects was estimated at around $1.1 million.
Gonzalez noted the cost also depends on the size of the new facility, and the size is largely dependent on the usage of the parks they are located in.
Next on the list of replacements is the washroom facility at Memorial Park, a project listed in next year’s capital plan that must still get council’s go-ahead.
A condition assessment was conducted by a consultant in 2020 for 33 city park washrooms and field houses.
That assessment recommended the replacement of the washroom buildings at Ladner Lions Park and Memorial Park as they were reported to be at the end of their lifecycles.
The report also notes that the design and construction of other park washrooms, including the ones at Cromie Park and Gunderson Park, is proposed for subsequent years.
A previous report to council on the state of the city’s park washrooms notes, “These older facilities do not have the ventilation systems that are required by today's modern building code. The floors are stained through years of use and emit odours that are embedded in the old concrete flooring. Many of the sites are not accessible for those with mobility limitations.”
In addition to the washroom replacements, other new park buildings also carry significant price tags.
Last fall, for example, council agreed to award a $138,660 contract for architectural design services for the new fieldhouse building that will be constructed at the North Delta Track and Field facility.
The current projected construction budget for the two-level, 4,000-square-foot project is just over $1 million.
Also last year, a $2.3 million contract was awarded for the construction of the Winskill Park fieldhouse. It will serve as the new clubhouse for the Tsawwassen Lawn Bowling Club and provide space for other community user groups.
That cost is in addition to the more than $100,000 already spent for architectural services.
