By Yvette d'Entremont - The Weekly News
BEDFORD - Frequent visitors to Bedford's DeWolf Park could soon benefit from permanent washroom facilities at the busy park site.
A request for proposal (architectural services) document has been issued for a facility being referred to as the DeWolf Park Pavilion. A mandatory information session
/site meeting was set for March 24, with the RFP closing on April 1.
The park along Bedford's waterfront is usually bustling with strolling seniors, playing children, dog walkers, and joggers. But when duty calls, port-a-potties are the only facilities in sight and those are only erected during the warmer months.
"Whenever they take the port-a-potties away, I get complaints about people peeing in the bushes," said Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit. "Something I've been hearing about since I was elected about two years ago now is how much people would love to see a year-round, permanent washroom at the park."
The Waterfront Development Corporation has partnered with HRM-Facility Development-Parks to oversee the design and construction work. The entire $250,000 project is being cost shared by the waterfront corporation, Provident Development, the DeWolf Family Trust, a contribution out of Outhit's district capital funds, and HRM.
"Taxpayers will actually be paying very little of it," Outhit said.
The DeWolf Park Pavilion is described in the RFP document as a prominent, multipurpose amenity building that's expected to be aesthetically pleasing, as vandal resistant as possible, energy efficient, and with a main entrance visible from the street.
The multi-stalled washroom facility will include separate men's and women's washrooms, a family washroom with change table, a janitor room with a floor sink as well as a small supply storage area and electrical panel.
Other planned additions include a drinking fountain on the exterior trail side of the building, covered and lockable exterior bulletin boards, hard surface walking paths, bike racks and a waste/recycling station.
"It won't be done in time for this summer, but hopefully the work will be done over the summer and it will be ready for fall," Outhit said. "It could take awhile, but it should be all ready to go for next summer."
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca
