A 15-Minute Stainless Steel Restroom Debuts in Chicago
Chicago now has a public restroom that cleans itself after each visit. It sits in a metal unit at Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street in the Polish Triangle. Users get 15 minutes. A countdown clock shows the time. A voice warns when time is almost up. When time runs out, the doors open. Motion sensors keep them open until the person leaves. After someone exits, the stall tips back. Soapy water washes it. It tips forward again. A jet of water sweeps the metal floor from one side to the other. About a minute later, it is ready. The unit also has an outdoor water fountain.
Christian Malatesta became the first user on Wednesday. He is from Wicker Park. He shook hands with Ald. Daniel La Spata before the automatic door closed. Malatesta had emailed La Spata weeks earlier to ask for the honor. A muffled flush came through the walls. Then the door opened. Malatesta walked out and gave two thumbs up. He praised the craftsmanship to TV cameras and a crowd of city officials. La Spata called it the greatest day of his life. He also joked to a toddler he was holding that the child could be the second user.
The project took years. La Spata represents the 1st Ward. In 2021, he led a City Council push for more public toilets. That push followed an investigation that found many parts of Chicago had few or no city-run bathrooms. In 2024, La Spata told constituents that JCDecaux was ready to install several high-quality public toilets. The company had a broader contract with Chicago. La Spata used about $315,000 in ward money to pay for installation at the busy intersection. JCDecaux donated the structure for a pilot program. Construction finished by Wednesday. That leaves a question: should a city rely on donated units and ward money to meet a basic need?
La Spata sees the toilet as a first step toward a public bathroom network. He said other cities he has visited treat public restrooms as a basic need for visitors and residents. He argued the bathroom helps young children, older adults, and people who are not local. He also pushed back on the idea that anyone can always use a business restroom. JCDecaux says it runs more than 2,500 such toilets worldwide. About 400 are in Paris. New York is set to get 40 more soon. Alan Sullivan, co-CEO of JCDecaux North America, described the benefit as dignity. He said people should not have to ask a coffee shop for access. The company also supplies bus stops, highway ads, and digital signs in Chicago. The units usually sell for around $250,000.