Public washroom to open on Whyte Ave

 Construction crews are working to finish up the newest building on Whyte Avenue – a public washroom.

For years, porta-potties have been made available to the late night bar crowd. The new permanent washroom , located on the corner of Whyte Ave and Gateway Boulevard, will open later this month.

“I’ve seen some of the Johnny on the spots and I believe they are not in the best conditions, I believe that this will hopefully take care of that problem,” says the construction foreman on site. “”This is going to be probably one of the finest washrooms you’ll see in the city at the moment.”

The cost of putting in toilets isn’t cheap, estimated at $500,000, which includes temporary toilets at seven locations along Jasper Avenue.

The idea started as a pilot project in 2007 where portable urinals were trucked in for the weekends and during times where the popular strip was busy.

The business across the street from the new bathrooms isn’t so sure the stalls will be worth it.

“Maybe I’ll be wrong but I can’t see a situation where someone will be lining up at 3 in the morning to use a bathroom when they want to go home,” says Shane Smith from Hudsons Taphouse.

Public urination has been a problem with 763 tickets issued for public urination in 2011. There have been 266 so far this year.

In old Strathcona 174 tickets were issued last year and 38 so far in 2012.

A urinating in public fine runs $500.

With files from Kendra Slugoski.