New public washroom — with a pickleball court — coming to Calgary’s East Village

A new public washroom in Calgary’s East Village will be complete with a pickleball court.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) broke ground on the project Tuesday, telling media the new space will have four universally accessible bathroom stalls, a shared handwashing space, and a fenced-in outdoor pickleball court.

The building will be next to the playground, community garden, and off-leash dog park at Crossroads, near the intersection of 7 Avenue and 6 Street SE.

CMLC started a public washroom design competition in August 2022 to find an innovative design concept that would fulfill the need for important social infrastructure, the community’s user and safety requirements, and align with the vibrancy and character of East Village.

Eleven submissions were received and a design team from Winnipeg was ultimately chosen to complete the project.

The 3,000-square-foot facility will also feature a tiered spectator seating area and a living green roof with natural grasses.

These new permanent washrooms will replace the current washrooms that were installed along RiverWalk in 2012, CMLC says, adding the existing facilities are facing rising maintenance expenses and social challenges. Those facilities haven’t been used since 2022.

A safety consultant was engaged during the design process, which led to the inclusion of clear sightlines, effective interior and exterior lighting, multiple at-grade and highly visible entrances, and thoughtful choices of material, CMLC says. The location of the new bathroom was also carefully considered, it adds.

The washrooms and pickleball court will open seven days a week, year-round and will be managed by CMLC. That includes ongoing maintenance, security, and programming for the space.

Hours of operation are not set in stone, and will be determined in the fall.