Public Bathroom Part Of Worcester Downtown Quality-Of-life Study

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester is in receipt of a state grant that will evaluate quality-of-life issues in the downtown area, and will partly focus on opening a public restroom — a longtime issue for downtown businesses due to people using doorways and other outdoor spaces as bathrooms.

The $25,000 Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Technical Assistance grant will go to the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District to create the "Downtown Worcester Quality of Life study."

"With the funding, the City of Worcester and the BID will work with a team of consultants to collect quality of life data from the Downtown core, expand upon research and best practices of similar urban communities to identify solutions to some prevalent quality of life issues, and develop of a comprehensive plan to address issues within the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District," the city said in a news release Thursday.

In July 2021, Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District Director Evelyn Darling told city councilors that people were going to the bathroom outdoors more frequently. That's because many businesses that offered public restrooms had to shut down during the pandemic, leaving no alternative. Many businesses — and City Hall and the main library — have since reopened to the public with more stable hours.

Former city manager Ed Augustus Jr. previously said opening a public restroom downtown is "extraordinary controversial" because no one wants one near their home or business.

The downtown quality-of-life study will also examine if a public restroom could be combined with social services for unsheltered people living in the area.

The BID keeps data on where problems with waste and litter occur most frequently. The improvement district previously used that data to place cigarette and dog waste bins in the downtown area.

The quality-of-life study could be complete by the summer, officials said.