Jefferson County Parks and Recreation’s Northwest Sports Complex in House Springs will have new restroom facilities this fall.
The facilities will replace the old ones, which were demolished after juveniles set off explosives in the building last July.
Integra Inc. in St. Charles will construct the new restrooms for $344,700, Director Tim Pigg said. The facilities will include three toilets for women and two urinals and a toilet for men in addition to storage space for the department. The building also will include space for a concession stand to be added later, he said.
Pigg said he hopes the facilities are finished in time for the annual Jefferson County Big River Run, which is held every September at the Sports Complex.
“(The previous) restroom as it was designed was not as efficient as we’re making it to be,” Pigg said. “I was actually able to add an extra restroom on each side. It really didn’t take any more footprint.”
The entire sports complex was closed for a brief period last summer following the explosion at the restroom facilities on July 4. The explosion damaged the building, which housed two restrooms, a concession stand and a utility room. Two juveniles were arrested on July 19 for allegedly causing the explosion, and the building was torn down to make way for the new one.
Since then, portable toilets have been set up at the complex, Pigg said
The Sports Complex, 4900 Byrnesville Road, is a 20-acre facility with four baseball fields, a walking trail, a skate park, a pavilion and picnic tables. Youth instructional soccer, T-ball, adult softball and other sports activities are held at the complex, according to the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation website.
“Nobody likes to go in a porta-potty, I understand that,” Pigg said. “This year’s enrollment (in spring soccer) was down, and a lot of people were citing that their kids are not going to come there because of the porta-potties.”
Pigg said Integra submitted the lowest and best of four bids submitted for the project, which will be covered with $314,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The remaining $136,000 will be covered by insurance and from the parents of the two juveniles arrested for the damage, each paying $2,000.
Pigg said WSP Architect in St. Louis was paid $12,989.80 for design services.
The Jefferson County Council voted 5-0 on May 28 to approve the construction of the restroom facilities. Councilmen Scott Seek (District 5, Festus) and Dan Stallman (District 6, De Soto) were absent from the meeting.
Pigg said the facility will have electric and heating and cooling capabilities.
“It won’t be like walking into your house where you have it set on 72 degrees,” he said. “It will be more like 82 degrees, or (in the colder months) 40 degrees. You don’t want things to freeze up in there.”
Pigg said the restrooms will most likely stay open year-round, except for in instances of extreme and extended periods of cold weather.
Pigg said the Sports Complex is one of the most visited parks in the county, and he’s glad new, permanent restrooms are being installed.
“It’s a more used park than people give it credit for,” he said. “We just have to have restrooms out there.”