"Sorry, No Public Restrooms"

How can Traverse City build parking garages you want visitors to use at a cost of millions without bathrooms. After traveling hours to get here visitors have to walk 4 blocks let alone find the visitors and convention building. Maybe put porta pottys outside them. That would show how people friendly Traverse City is.

Do they make handicap accessible portable restrooms? And give some consideration to strategically placed facilities! Don't be looking solely at the cost - offset it with public spending. Look at what happens in the real world in TC not what you think it is.

please remember that not all people can walk down to the Chamber building or the waterfront when shopping and when a kids gotta go, a kids gotta go. Try to be understanding and friendly to young and older in this decision. What age group spends the most money downtown!

There is $1 million in the Sara Hardy Parking Deck fund. Take some of that and a few spaces and put in public restrooms. Deck staff could maintain them. Operation hours would be longer.
The Cherry Republic plan called for $850,000 bathrooms (including a $30,000/year maintenance plan for 20 years)for a 10am to 6pm facility. A bit pricey for my taste. How many merchants would sign up for that plan? Hold DDA officials accountable for their action, or inaction. DDA restrooms are not public.

There used to be public restroom until people became inconsiderate of the facilities;damaging and vandalizing them. Now,go home and use your own

It should be a given that if you want people to come downtown you need to offer them SOMEWHERE to use the restroom. It's a human bodily function..it's not like people have a choice on whether to go or not. I've had visitor's mention to me that TC comes off as snobbish since we advertise as being the best at everything but make it a stressful endeavor just to find a bathroom. Horizon Books have been very gracious in this area but they shouldn't be the only one supplying this necessity. We always shop there just for the simple fact that they offer this NECESSARY service.

Parking garages are logical locations for public bathrooms, as are any new developments. It would be ideal to have public restrooms within each block of every business district(Downtown, Old Town, West End, etc.)

I have moved back to traverse city 2.5 years ago. I find it truely AMAZING that a town that has so many festivals and encourages increased tourist activity would have so little restrooms.
This definately MUST change.
Thank you.
Patricia

As a long time customer of fabulous local business, Horizon Books, I am extremely disappointed that their public restroom friendly policy was not featured in this article. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase an asset that does so much for our community in many realms: full age range product and activities, meeting space, entertainment, highest quality of service. Other stores when asked always send shoppers to Horizon!

I believe purchasing space in the Cherry Republic Bldg if possible would be the best option. The city would own it. It would remove the fickleness of business owners as some may sell or change their minds at a future date. It removes the need to build a restroom or purchase the self cleaning toilets which could become blight issues either now or in the future. Doing nothing is really a poor option.

• The city purchases space in the planned Cherry Republic Building at Front and Cass and constructs public restrooms. It would be like owning a condo with monthly dues.

Perhaps merchant compensation could be in the form of a good citizen awards posted in the local news? Post good merchant citizen restroom maps downtown. The Chamber building should become restroom friendly? Impose a special assessment tax only on merchants that do not open there restrooms to the public? DDA could maintain an "Out House" blog to praise the public friendly and remind the unfriendly of there opportunity to change? The blog could also mine other opportunities for the DDA?

Seriously? After all these years Traverse City finally has an opportunity for permanent public restrooms and we are actually considering passing on the Cherry Republic complex?

As someone who has worked in the downtown area over the years I think restrooms have been needed since the close of Milliken's. Perhaps a combination of ideas is best. Most stores do not have sufficient space or ability to offer public facilities. These are old buildings. But those that do, should be offered a benefit. Public restrooms should be required/offered in the new Cherry Republic building and possibly any new development. As a proffesional in the building trade I can't see how the cost of $200,000 portable toilets is beneficial. Give someone a job to do the maintanance.