Getting people downtown and keeping them there is the goal of public bathroom upgrades planned for Brookings. The city will use an A-A-R-P Community Challenge grant to update public bathrooms in the town’s welcoming center. The bathrooms will be on the main floor and fully accessible. Kirsten Gjesdal with Brookings Regional Growth Alliance says this was a frequent request from visitors, and she hopes it’ll make spending time downtown more enticing.
“Sometimes people have to leave in order to go use the restroom, or it’s just incredibly inconvenient for any age,” said Gjesdal. “If you’re thinking about anyone from a parent changing a baby’s diaper all the way on up to just being able to access a bathroom if you’re out shopping.”
Brookings used a grant last year to pilot crosswalks on busy streets adjacent to downtown. Gjesdal says they’ve been a huge success, making the area much easier to navigate.