City Spotlight: Evansville, IN
Meeting a Need in Downtown Evansville: Answering the Call for a Public Restroom in a Central Location
How Evansville, IN, addressed the residents’ call for a publicly accessible bathroom to serve METS transit riders, workers, event-goers, and the area’s unhoused community.
The Project at a Glance
Location
Evansville, IN (Downtown Area)
Setting
Corner of Sycamore Street and 6th Street, downtown, next to the METS Transit bus station
Primary Users
Transit riders, downtown visitors, event/festival attendees, people who work downtown, and the unhoused population
Installation Year
May 2026
The Challenge
No public restroom facilities are available in Downtown Evansville
The Solution
Installation of one Portland LooⓇ prefabricated restroom with custom vinyl art wrap
Project Location
The Challenge
Downtown Evansville had long lacked a publicly accessible restroom. As with many other municipalities, this caused a major strain on, particularly for transit riders waiting at the METS Transit bus terminal, unhoused neighbors, downtown workers, event attendees, and visitors during off-hours. This lack of facilities created a significant quality-of-life issue for residents, businesses, and visitors, as well as a dignity-and-care concern for unhoused populations. The city acknowledged the legitimacy of these concerns and was determined to find a creative solution that wouldn’t burden Evansville taxpayers.
The Solution
The City of Evansville determined that the Portland LooⓇ was the perfect solution.
They chose the Loo for its many useful and safety-conscious qualities, such as 24/7 accessibility, open-air design that improves visibility and safety, privacy-conscious design, the ability to discourage illegal activity, ADA compliance, and vandal-resistant/durable construction.
The Results
Key Takeaways
Affordability
Evansville financed its entire Portland LooⓇ project using interest earned on $27 million in undisbursed funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). No additional taxpayer money was used.
Location
The unit was strategically placed adjacent to the METS Transit bus station, serving as both a transit and downtown amenity.
Scalability
The Loo is the first of a two-phase downtown restroom rollout; the second Loo has already been approved for 4th & Main and is scheduled to be installed later in 2026.
Maintenance
Downtown’s Portland LooⓇ is being maintained and cleaned daily by the Downtown Economic Improvement District (DEID), not the Evansville city government.
Applications for The Portland Loo®
Our prefabricated restrooms are perfect for a variety of environments and locations, including:
Solve Your City’s Public Restroom Problems With The Portland LooⓇ
Ready to fix your city’s public restroom woes? Let’s discuss how The Portland LooⓇ can work in your community.
