Montrose, CO – Councilors amended the expenditure for the new Riverbottom Park restroom facility Tuesday, adjusting the project’s total by $99,496 to address floodplain issues from the nearby Uncompahgre River.

Site preparation for the new Riverbottom Park restroom facility is scheduled to begin as soon as designs and building permits for the new building become finalized. Construction of the new facility should be completed by the end of the year.  

Public Works Manager Jim Scheid told councilors Tuesday the current restroom facility in the park was built decades ago and currently sits below the river’s floodplain.

This means the design of the new facility needed to be raised as required by building code.

“Due to the floodplain elevation requirements in this area, the new finished floor elevation will need to be approximately 3.8 feet above existing grade,” Scheid’s report to council said.

Adjusting for the floodplain, the foundation, the type of masonry, and other last-minute design add-ons, the total cost for the new facility will be $498,436. The original budget for the project was $550,000, so with the design changes, the project comes in $51,564 under budget.

Earlier this month Scheid described to councilors the new restroom facility as a larger, more efficient structure than the existing restroom facility and will feature large skylights to allow more natural light to brighten the inside. The new building will be accessible to all citizens by standards set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The new facility will have upgraded power sources so the city can hold large events in the park — like the annual FUNC Fest — without electrical shortages.

Due to changes in the building, new landscaping options with planters will be included in the final design. The facility is to be attached to a 3,000 square-foot concrete patio equipped with large ultra-violet sunshades.

The restrooms will be located just west of the current facility, and the concrete patio will be placed where the existing sand volleyball court is located. Scheid said the existing restrooms could likely be torn down in early October.

Ridgway Valley Enterprises was the sole bidder for the project earlier this year.

The completed facility will be closed each night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. with pre-programmed automated locks, that will unlock the facility doors each morning.

The new restroom facility project is part of the conceptual Riverbottom Master Plan that will also upgrade an existing sewer line to improve waste drainage from the park.

For more City news visit: CityOfMontrose.org.

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