Durham residents who voted for a high-tech, self-cleaning public restroom downtown are getting something more basic: a standard toilet.
While a $350,000 restroom project was approved through Durham’s Participatory Budgeting program, city officials say the facility will look different from what was promised on the ballot. The project is part of a $2.4 million slate of community initiatives approved under the program, which invites residents to vote on how they want to spend a small percentage of the city budget.
“The city initially explored a self-cleaning restroom model for this project; however, we were not able to secure the number of restrooms required for the city to move forward with that type of infrastructure,” said Carmen Ortiz with the city’s Community Partnerships and Engagement Department. “The restroom will still be designed to meet applicable safety, sanitation, and accessibility standards.”…