Waste of the Day: NYC’s $3.5 Million Toilets Are “In Purgatory”

Topline: It takes less time to put a man on the moon than to build an outdoor bathroom in New York City, according to former NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

The outdoor bathroom project – with a septic tank to serve it

The nonprofit newsroom The City spoke with Benepe as part of an investigation into a $3.5 million restroom in Fort Washington Park proposed in 2022. The project is still in the planning phase four years later because of red tape and bureaucratic mess. 

Key facts: The bathroom will be built over a large septic tank instead of connecting to city sewer lines, which planning documents said would allow it to be built “more quickly.”

But delays began in the design phase, run by Parks Department employees. It was supposed to be completed by April 2023 but took until March 2024.

The city had to wait for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to confirm the proposal didn’t violate any environmental regulations protecting the Hudson River. The air conditioning system also had to be redesigned.

Merritt Birnbaum — president and CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy, which helps manage Fort Washington Park — told The City that “this bathroom has been in purgatory with design changes and legal review.”

Why did the project take so long?

While the project was on hold, construction costs increased by 12 to 15%, according to The City.

Next, it was time to choose a company to actually build the bathroom. The process was supposed to be completed by March 2025 but is now expected to last until 2027. Because of the state’s Wicks Law, projects of more than $3 million must select four different contractors for plumbing, electricity, heating and general construction.

“That’s a nightmare for a simple project,” Benepe told The City. “You can have one contractor be bad and three be good — and that will delay everything.”

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Summary: Taking years to install a toilet is a sign that government efficiency and taxpayer value may have truly gone down the drain in New York.

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This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.