Photo by Sam Chandler.
The new bathroom at the Mountain Brook Elementary School athletic field cost the city about $130,000 and is set to open in the coming weeks.
Construction on the new bathroom at the Mountain Brook Elementary School athletic field is nearly complete.
Shanda Williams, the city’s parks and recreation department director, said she is hopeful that the two-unit facility will open to the public in late July or early August.
“The Park Board is really anxious,” Williams said. “Everybody’s been waiting on it.”
The bathroom, which is green and features an A-shaped roof, will replace the two portable toilets that have long been stationed at the field.
Williams said the upgrade cost about $130,000.
“It’s not just for the kids that play on the field,” Williams said. “A lot of the runners that go up and down the trail use it more than anybody.”
Work on the restroom began in January with the formation of a large dirt mound. The mound was needed because the new bathroom is in a floodplain and must sit well above ground level. Williams said the building was custom-designed and delivered in one piece. Since its arrival in April, it has been outfitted with plumbing and electrical equipment.
Recently, the city poured a concrete walkway leading to the bathroom from the sidewalk adjacent to Cahaba Road. Before it opens, Williams said the city plans to add a roof structure over the porch and then begin landscaping.
She said the city will lay new sod and plant several trees that will help the bathroom blend in more with its surroundings.
