What a relief: Portable toilets return to Tompkins Square Park

Updated April 2: The toilets have been unlocked!

Hopefully, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke! 

This morning, workers brought in a truck full of porta-potties for Tompkins Square Park. (Thanks to EVG reader Lauren G. for the photo!)

The busy 10.5-acre park had been without toilets since Jan. 9, when city workers carted off the three porta-potties from their temporary home near Ninth Street and Avenue A.

At the time, sources told us that the previous porta-potties were constantly trashed and not really the most fun things to use. So, the thinking was, Why replace them with more only to meet the same fate?

So, in the past three months, anyone who needed to answer nature's call did so in nature, including in, on and around the playgrounds, causing a stink among residents. (Photo below from this morning via our friends at the De Colores Community Yard.)

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are closed due to an 18-month (or so) renovation that began last May. The porta potties arrived around the same time ... before an August 2023 relocation.

In February 2023, a Parks official explained that temporary toilets were not part of the contract "and cannot be supplied during construction." The alternative for public use during this period: The restrooms at the McKinley Playground on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue adjacent to P.S. 63/the Neighborhood School — roughly a seven-minute walk.

By March 2023, though, Community Board 3 noted that porta potties would be on-site after all. 

According to the Parks Department website, work at the field house is 34% complete, with an anticipated wrap-up date of September 2024.

Updated 5 p.m. 

There are three port-potties... located near the ping-pong table by the field house... the two line green models are actually called Key Lime Restroom...

Per the Callahead website: 

The KEY LIME RESTROOM is designed with bright key lime coloring specially for waterfront and seaside locations. The KEY LIME is another design by Charles W. Howard, CALLAHEAD's President & CEO, to add to the long list of specialty designed restrooms to look amazing and add value to any location. The Rockaways, City Island, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Coney Island, Jones Beach, Brighton Beach, the Hamptons, Fire Island and Montauk are just a sample of where the KEY LIME RESTROOM is a popular rental.

And Steven notes the grand opening must be at a later date — all three latrines are padlocked...

Tompkins Square Park remains without restrooms for public use

With reporting by Stacie Joy

As we first reported on Jan. 9, the three porta-potties were whisked away from their temporary home in Tompkins Square Park near the Ninth Street and Avenue A entrance. At the time, we didn't realize that this might be permanent. 

Sources tell us that there are no plans for new ones and that the old porta-potties were constantly trashed and not really the most fun things to use. So, the thinking is, Why replace them with more only to meet the same fate?

A contact at the Parks Department provided us with a porta-potty-worthy comment: "We don't know anything. No one tells us shit."

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are closed due to an 18-month (or so) renovation that began last May. The porta potties arrived around the same time ... before an August relocation.

The temporary toilet situation has caused a stink from the get-go.

In February 2023, a Parks official explained that temporary toilets were not part of the contract "and cannot be supplied during construction." The alternative for public use during this period: The restrooms at the McKinley Playground on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue adjacent to P.S. 63/the Neighborhood School — roughly a seven-minute walk.

By March 2023, though, Community Board 3 noted that porta potties would be on-site after all. 

According to the Parks Department website, work at the field house is 27% complete, with an anticipated wrap-up date of September 2024.

For now, the 10.5-acre public park doesn't have any restroom facilities, which, predictably, has caused an uptick in sightings of (and discovery of afterward of) public urination and defecation from everyone from TSP regulars to asylum seekers waiting near St. Brigid on Seventh Street and Avenue B.

We're told that the McKinley Playground is the default public loo, though there isn't any signage anywhere to inform people of that development.

If the park remains porta-potty free, the situation will only get more fragrant this spring and summer as people will spend more time here with concerts and other warmer-weather social activities, from children's birthday parties to White Claw blanket ragers on the main lawn.

The porta potties are MIA in Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Steven 

Has anyone seen the porta potties in Tompkins Square Park? The toilet triplex near Ninth Street and Avenue A outside the ballfield/skate area is no longer in the spot. 

Park workers we asked didn't know anything about their whereabouts. Hmm!

The porta potties first arrived last May... before an August relocation.

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are now closed as part of an 18-month renovation underway. 

Porta potties on the go in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

Also from this past week... a move that a surprising number of people mentioned: On Monday, workers relocated the porta potties in Tompkins Square Park after three-plus months.

The toilet triplex is now located near Ninth Street and Avenue A outside the ballfield/skate area. No word on why they were brought to this spot. 

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are now closed as part of an 18-month renovation underway.

... and the former home of the porta-potties near the ping-pong table ...

Please leave your favorite memories of them at this location in the comments...

Noted

We're coming up on the 1-week anniversary of the porta potties arriving in Tompkins Square Park for patrons to use during the field house renovations. (What are you doing to celebrate?) 

EVG regular Jose Garcia shared this photo and some preliminary thoughts on Day 6 

"This entire area truly smells like shit. It's actually impressive how much it smells. No kidding." 

Just 17 months and 3 weeks to go under renovations are complete!

Porta potties arrive in Tompkins Square Park for use during field house renovations

Workers this morning dropped off some porta potties in Tompkins Square Park (thanks to Lauren G. for the photo!). 

The restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are now closed as part of an 18-month renovation getting underway.

In February, a Parks official explained that temporary toilets were not part of the contract "and cannot be supplied during construction." The alternative for public use during this period: The restrooms at the McKinley Playground on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue adjacent to P.S. 63/the Neighborhood School.

By March, though, Community Board 3 noted that porta potties would be on-site after all. 

Updated: 

A close-up view... (photo by Steven)...

Fencing off the Tompkins Square Park field house

Photos by Steven

Workers yesterday fenced off the Tompkins Square Park field house as renovations here are imminent (this after the arrival of the construction office on Friday).

The path along the Ninth Street walkway is about half the size now with the fencing (on the positive side, this will make it more difficult to drive through the Park)...     

The space behind the field house — dubbed the Slocum area as it includes the Slocum Memorial Fountain — is now also closed to the public ...

... along with the restrooms... 

The Parks Department website lists a September 2024 competition date for the $5.6-million project (PDF here), which will:

• Upgrade existing restrooms to code

• Upgrade Parks and maintenance and operations space

• Add first aid and lifeguard locker room spaces in the building

• Reconstruct interiors

• Clean and partially repoint exterior brick

In addition, the Tompkins Square mini pool will be out of commission for two consecutive summers. 

This poorly scrawled circle shows roughly how much of the Park will be closed for the next 18 months ...

...the asphalt ballcourt will also be renovated early this summer (or so) ...

Noting

Here's a look this morning at the construction trailer that arrived in Tompkins Square Park yesterday ahead of the 18-month field house renovation. 

One note for anyone concerned that the trailer would take the ping-pong table out of commission... there looks to be enough room ... just go easy with the sidespin on the ball... 

Coming attractions: Prep work underway for the renovation of the Tompkins Square Park field house

The EVG inbox lit up this morning... as workers arrived in Tompkins Square Park to set up a construction office outside the field house... as renovations onsite are set to begin... (thanks to Steven and others for the pics)...

While this 18-month work project was expected to start this spring, the early word is that some residents-Parkgoers were surprised by how large the trailer is ... not to mention some temporary fencing.

One reader believes this setup will also render the ping-pong table useless [Updated: there looks to be enough room between the trailer and the table for matches]  ...

As previously reported, the field house and the space behind it — dubbed the Slocum area as it includes the Slocum Memorial Fountain — will be closed during this time. In addition, the Tompkins Square mini pool will be out of commission for two consecutive summers. 

The Parks Department website lists a September 2024 competition date for the $5.6-million project (PDF here), which will:

• Upgrade existing restrooms to code

• Upgrade Parks and maintenance and operations space

• Add first aid and lifeguard locker room spaces in the building

• Reconstruct interiors

• Clean and partially repoint exterior brick

Porta potties are expected on the scene at some point... as the Park bathrooms will be closed. (Get your stall selfies quickly!). 

To be continued for sure...