(Seguin) — As part of an ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Seguin and improve civic infrastructure, the city has taken a significant step toward enhancing the visitor experience by approving the purchase of much-needed public restroom facilities. These new facilities are expected to serve both residents and tourists, responding to the growing demand for accessible, clean restrooms in the downtown area.
Currently, the public restroom options in downtown Seguin are limited, open only during normal business hours, and insufficient to meet the needs of the increasing number of visitors, especially with the city’s rising popularity as a destination for tourism, local events, and public gatherings.
Throughout the development of the Seguin Downtown Master Plan, the inclusion of public restrooms were consistently highlighted as a priority by residents and stakeholders. Feedback gathered from public meetings and surveys pointed to the need for restroom facilities to serve both special events and daily visitors to downtown Seguin. The consultants who worked on the master plan identified the restrooms as a high-priority project, noting that they would support longer stays and further encourage foot traffic in the downtown area.
In June 2023, the Seguin City Council formally adopted the downtown master plan and allocated funding for the restroom project through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). To bring this project to fruition, the City of Seguin formed a committee to discuss the design and location of the new restroom facilities. The committee, made up of members from the Main Street Advisory Board, the Historic Preservation & Design Commission, community members, City Council, and city staff carefully considered the best location for the restrooms. After extensive discussions, the northeast corner of Central Park was selected as the site. This location aligns with the recommendations in the downtown master plan, ensuring it will not interfere with the flow of special events while being close to existing infrastructure.
For the design and construction of the restrooms, the city is working with Corworth/Restroom Facilities Ltd, a company based in Marble Falls. The proposed restroom structure will have a brick veneer to match the architectural style of downtown Seguin. The design will feature a flat roof with a cornice and an awning over the restroom entrances, elements that are characteristic of many buildings in the downtown area.
In addition to two ADA-compliant stalls, the restrooms will include several features aimed at enhancing accessibility and convenience for visitors. These include stainless steel fixtures, baby- changing and adult-changing stations, and a CMS platform for maintaining and locking the facilities.
The Seguin City Council approved the purchase on Tuesday, December 3 and the company will begin production of the building soon at their facility in Marble Falls before moving it for placement in the park.
The restrooms will be an essential addition to Seguin’s downtown, providing convenience and comfort for residents, tourists, and visitors attending special events and visiting downtown Seguin.