After listening to a presentation detailing the design concept for the proposed Whitecliff Park Quarry restroom at its Aug. 22 meeting, the Crestwood Board of Aldermen approved a resolution authorizing staff to apply for a grant with the Municipal Parks Grant Commission. If awarded, this grant could fund up to $465,000 of the project.

“This is the next phase of a multi-phase plan to improve the quarry area at Whitecliff Park. Just a few years ago, the quarry had an old, dilapidated fence around it, lots of brush and overgrowth. Most people didn’t even know the quarry was there,” City Administrator Kris Simpson said.

The first phase of this improvement plan included removal and clearance of the fence and brush, as well as construction of a boardwalk along the quarry waterfront. This was funded in part by a $250,000 federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant. During phase two, a new pavilion was constructed by the new boardwalk, which can be rented out for events.

The city is now at phase three: adding a restroom facility to serve users of the area.

Though four spots were considered, the new restroom will be built where the temporary restroom currently sits as it is close to the trail and accessible parking lots, making the facility available for as many people as possible. Right now there is turf at this location, though this would be removed and replaced with concrete to make access to the restroom more ADA-accessible.

The only downside of this location is that it is in a floodplain area, though Jay Wohlschlaeger of SWT Design, the firm working with Crestwood on this project, assured the board that they have been “working and looking at it from an MSD (Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District) perspective” and everything has been “discussed and resolved.”

As for the proposed structure itself, it will be one building with two separate unisex restrooms and “a mechanical space in-between.” From an aesthetic standpoint, SWT design is trying to match the materials and colors of the pavilion so that everything looks cohesive.

“The goal is to have a stone sort of base to the building that matches the stone column wraps on the pavilion, and then a dark siding material that would, again, replicate the color on the pavilion. The idea is that they look like they’re from the same vocabulary, they’re from the same family of fixtures and amenities,” Wohlschlaeger said.

In addition to aesthetics, the materials used are intended to be durable and easy to maintain. They will also prevent odor buildup. 

The grant application due date was Aug. 28, though the city will not know if it is awarded the $465,000 grant until November. The restrooms will cost $452,258.12 in total, so the grant should cover all costs for the restrooms.

If the grant is awarded, design implementation will begin in January or February 2024. There is a nine month estimate from the manufacturer of the prefabricated facility, so construction would not begin until September or October 2024. It would be quick construction though, as the restroom is estimated to open to the public in October or November 2024. If the city does not receive the grant, it would not be able to move forward with this project at this time.