Penticton’s council has directed city staff to apply for a grant to fund two public washrooms through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS).
The decision was made via a unanimous vote in a special council meeting Tuesday (Jan. 26) afternoon.
The grant is jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments.
The CVRIS is designed to support public infrastructure projects starting before Sept. 30 and completed by Dec. 31, 2021.
The funds can be used for retrofits, repairs and upgrades to public facilities. The city is hoping to secure $400,000 in eligible funding for public washrooms along Riverside Drive and in Gyro Park.
The city hopes to upgrade existing facilities at Gyro Park and add new ones to Riverside Park.
The proposed washroom facility at Riverside Park will replace the existing structure that is currently closed and requires demolition. The facilities will include two new unisex accessible washroom facilities at an estimated cost of $100,000.
New permanent washroom facilities at Gyro Park are necessary to support the upcoming construction of an outdoor ice rink in the area. The washrooms will provide five to six fully accessible unisex stalls, with two being heated year-round, at an estimated cost of $300,000.
“Council is committed to identifying and applying to available grants that will assist the city in lowering the costs associated with new facilities,” said mayor John Vassilaki. “The need for added washrooms along Riverside Drive and upgrades to the facilities in Gyro Park are ideal candidates for this grant and, if the city’s application is successful, the money received will generate welcome savings for our taxpayers.”
| The city has identified the need for upgraded washroom facilities at these two locations. (City of Penticton) |
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jesse.day@pentictonwesternnews.com
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