On Thursday, February 8th, the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID) officially opened three permanent public restrooms in Downtown Columbus. This project was made possible through partnership with the City of Columbus (City).

The restrooms are located at the northwest corner of High and Long Streets, the northeast corner of 3rd and Broad Streets, and the southwest corner of High and Lynn Streets. The restrooms offer a critical amenity to downtown Columbus and will help foster an environment of vibrancy, safety, and cleanliness. 

“Easy access to public restrooms has always been challenging for visitors, bus riders, people experiencing homelessness, and others downtown," said Lisa Defendiefer, deputy director of Operations for the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. "In addition to providing comfort and convenience, these public restrooms will benefit public health by mitigating the spread of communicable diseases.” 

The City is contracting with the SID to clean and maintain the facilities. The SID will clean the restrooms several times daily, seven days a week. The cleaning schedule will be adjusted for variations in use according to season and during special events. SID Safety Ambassadors will perform hourly checks to ensure the health and safety of restroom patrons. Knox boxes have been installed on all three restrooms, which allow easy and immediate access for first responders without damage to property. 

For more information on the program and background on the restrooms, click here.