Rogers Place is making modifications to a couple of its men’s bathrooms, adding more urinals, sinks and stalls to the new downtown arena, after a season full of washroom-related complaints.
Work is expected to start on Tuesday and the plan is to have the new facilities installed within five weeks, in time for the UFC 215 event in September, the Oilers Entertainment Group confirmed to Global News on Thursday.
More urinals, stalls and sinks will be added to two men’s bathrooms that have been identified as high-congestion areas – one by Section 129 on the main floor and one by Section 220 on the upper concourse.
“We know that we had some challenges during the hockey season,” said Tom Cornwall, vice president of construction and operations with Rogers Place.
“We listened to the fans and all of our guests and we know there was an issue and we’re addressing that issue.”
On the main concourse, 19 toilets/urinals and nine sinks will be added for a total of 28 toilets/urinals and 15 sinks.
On the upper concourse, 16 toilets/urinals and 10 sinks will be added for a total of 34 toilets/urinals and 17 sinks.
The size of each washroom will be expanded to make room for the new fixtures. In total, Rogers Place will have an additional 35 men’s toilets/urinals and 19 sinks.
“It’s very important,” Cornwall said of relieving the pressure. “We want to continue to be the worldwide leader.”
Since Rogers Place opened last fall, one of the biggest complaints from patrons has been the bathroom situation.
First, the complaints were related to long lines for the women’s bathrooms. During the first two concerts at the venue, some people voiced concerns about long lines to use the women’s facilities.
However, Rogers Place said its studies determined the demand for women’s facilities was not the most urgent need to address.
“The greatest congestion was from the men’s washrooms so that was where our focus was for the time being,” Cornwall explained.
“Releasing congestion from the men’s lineups should help all of the lineups.”
READ MORE: Rogers Place responds to complaints about long lines for women’s washrooms
During the Stanley Cup playoffs, male fans voiced concerns about lengthy lines for the washrooms. The OEG attempted to cut down on the wait times by adding a staff member to the washrooms to help point out empty stalls. Sticks were also placed on the floor to show fans where to line up.
Taking it a step further, Rogers Place then converted a number of the women’s facilities into men’s, which once again caused the women’s queues to back up. Some women told Global News they waited in line for upwards of 25 minutes.
READ MORE: Female Oilers fans upset after women’s washrooms are swapped to accommodate men at arena
Rogers Place said it aims to have fans in and out of the bathrooms in about four minutes, a time the facility’s general manager said was met during the regular season.
According to the City of Edmonton, while 172 toilets and urinals are required by code, Rogers Place has 485. However, some have use restrictions, including company boxes, the Loge Level and Sportsnet Club.
Rogers Place said it does a quick analysis of the demographic before any given event and can switch men’s washrooms into women’s and vice versa.
Rogers Place said it converted men’s washrooms into women’s during the Ed Sheeran, Thomas Rhett, John Mayer, Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood concerts.
After the work is done, arena officials will continue to monitor the bathroom lines.
The renovations are expected to cost $500,000. According to The OEG, the washroom upgrade costs are expected to be paid out of the existing construction budget for the arena, which has an allowance for fixing deficiencies.
UFC 215 will take over Rogers Place on Sept. 9. The card features two championship fights. In the main event, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will defend his flyweight championship against Ray Borg. The co-main event is for the women’s bantamweight championship, as Amanda Nunes defends her title against Valentina Shevchenko.
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