The third Portland Loo will open at noon today, Friday, November 19, 2010 in celebration of World Toilet Day. Located at SW Ash and Naito Parkway at Waterfront Park, Commissioner Randy Leonard will be joined by Carol McCreary founding member of PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human) www.PHLUSH.org and board member of the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association for the first flush. McCreary will speak about toilet availability as a human right and mention other community groups engaged in promoting sanitation.
World Toilet Day is celebrated annually to raise global awareness of the water and sanitation crisis. According to the United Nations, over 2.6 billion people do not have the basic human right of access to somewhere safe and hygienic to go when they need to go.
“Today we are making new commitments to sustainability, childhood fitness, active aging and vibrant shared spaces. Public restrooms are as central to 21st century urban life as sidewalks and street lights,” said McCreary.
Located in Old Town Chinatown next to Saturday Market and Portland’s new Legacy Fountain, the third Portland Loo will complement current Portland Loos at NW Glisan between NW 4th and 5th Avenues and at SW Taylor and Naito Parkway at Waterfront Park. The location and installation is collaboration among the Portland Water Bureau, the Portland Development Commission, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation and the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
“This Loo is being sited at SW Ash and Naito as an amenity to serve the many citizens who are drawn to this area, including Saturday Market and Waterfront park users and the many residents and visitors in Old Town, “ said Commissioner Randy Leonard. “The first two Loos continue to demonstrate the success of our efforts, boasting cleaner neighborhoods, and essential facilities to meet the most basic human needs 24 hours a day.”
Designed and fabricated locally, the Portland Loo is attractive and functional. The Portland Loo is a modern, public urban toilet that pushes Portland into the future by making public restrooms available, safe, hygienic and sustainable. The designer, who worked with Commissioner Leonard to create the Portland Loo, Curtis Banger, will be on site to answer questions about the design features. The City was recently approved for a design patent from the Federal Patent & Trademark Office for the Loo. For more information on the Portland Loo, go to www.portlandloo.com.
Anna DiBenedetto, Commissioner Randy Leonard staff (503) 823-3001
Anne Hill, Portland Water Bureau (503) 823-4807
