FOLLOWUP: Alki restrooms now rubble

Thanks for the tip. Three weeks after construction started for the Alki Beach restroom rebuild at 57th SW [map], crews have turned the old restroom building into rubble. It will be replaced by summer with a ~$638,000 comfort station that will have three individually accessed all-gender restrooms meeting ADA requirements – a 50% increase in capacity from the old one – plus a new shower. The contractor is Burien-based JEM.

StopCuttingDownTrees February 11, 2021 (2:23 pm)

Any idea on how old that restroom structure was? They were old when I moved here 32 years ago.

WSB February 11, 2021 (2:28 pm)

I spent about 45 minutes trying to find out and couldn’t. The closest I came was a 1931 newspaper mentioning that some restrooms were being built somewhere at Alki. I’m going to send the project manager a note, though, because he might well have that info … TR
- WSB February 11, 2021 (3:19 pm)
  
  Kelly Goold from Parks replied quickly: 1962.

miws February 11, 2021 (2:46 pm)

I was born in 1958, and although admittedly my memories of the Alki area from back in the ’60s until I moved over to the Kitsap Peninsula at the end of the decade, for about 4 1/2 years is rather vague, that little restroom structure has always been there… — Mike

Junction Lady February 11, 2021 (3:33 pm)

Good! That project is overdue. I hope they put lots of thought and details into the high use facility.

Chuck Jacobs February 11, 2021 (3:47 pm)

Are they going to do the one down by 63rd as well?

Eric Moe February 11, 2021 (4:22 pm)

sam February 11, 2021 (4:41 pm)

A bathroom costs over a half million dollar to build?

Morgan Graham February 11, 2021 (8:41 pm)

+1. Maybe JEM or the city can share some context on why it’s so expensive. I get that the fixtures need to be heavy duty, but that can’t explain it all.

Petert February 11, 2021 (4:42 pm)

It’s already an improvement !

sgs February 11, 2021 (5:19 pm)

Showers? If people want to rinse off after a day at the beach, a couple of outside shower heads like they do in California and Hawaii should do it. Understand this is already decided, but I am curious the design reason for showers. More toilets would be better.

WSB February 11, 2021 (6:00 pm)

I believe the shower *is* an outside fixture (it was mentioned in the context of replacing what existed before). Looking at the plans (which are linked to the project name above), it’s definitely not an internal feature.

Also John February 11, 2021 (5:30 pm)

That’s great news! Now a second less expensive project would be to install 10 times the amount of garbage cans.

CarDriver February 11, 2021 (5:36 pm)

Also John. Bigger need to get people to put their garbage in a can.

Wiseman February 12, 2021 (12:50 am)

Most people put garbage in cans but birds are the culprits, mainly seagalls. They pick out but never put them back in.

Brandon February 12, 2021 (8:28 am)

Can I ask what in the living hell costs over $600k for a few bathrooms????

Miffed February 12, 2021 (8:24 pm)

That’s a good question. $1,600 per square foot seems a bit high to me. Maybe it’s going to be made out of gold and marble.