The Lakewood Park restroom renovation has been completed, according to Salina Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hammond's report at the recent Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.
The restroom, which was damaged by fire approximately nine months ago, has been fully renovated rather than replaced with a new structure.
Hammond explained that the department determined it was more cost-effective to renovate the existing structure than to replace it with a new prefabricated building, which would have cost approximately $200,000. The renovation project was partially funded through insurance money received from the fire damage claim.
"We had a little bit of insurance money from the insurance claim and we maximized that to our best ability," Hammond stated.
The renovation includes updated finishes consistent with other recently renovated park restrooms in the city.
Additionally, Hammond noted that concrete improvements are planned for the area adjacent to the restroom. The department will be adding a two-bay parking pad and sidewalk next to the bathroom. Currently, the area is a gravel lot that "was never really intended to be a parking area but became one," according to Hammond.
The Lakewood Park restroom is now open for public use, with the additional concrete improvements expected to begin soon.
