By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend City Council voted in favor of installing prefabricated restrooms at Langrehr Field, just to the east of the Great Bend Sports Complex. Through the quality-of-life sales tax initiative, the ballfield bathrooms were scheduled for 2025. With tabling the Brit Spaugh Park addition, funds freed up to get the Langrehr project done this year.
Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said city staff made plenty of reference calls to other cities and organizations to check on the quality of the restroom facility.
"We looked at the similar restroom at Cheyenne Bottoms, at their campground and main facility," said Burns. "They have two of these that they set up about five years ago. They're still in great condition."
The $94,093 purchase from Sourcewell preferred vendor CXT will be 10'3" x 17'. The two single restrooms will have interior and exterior lights, a four-gallon water heater, electric hand dryers, ADA drinking fountain and a timed electric lock system.
"We originally looked at placing this in the grass area, but with everything so tight there and the main electric lines going over the top, we opted to put it in the first two parking stalls that are right behind home plate," said Burns. "We will have to take out some asphalt. Right now, a lot of that parking is not being utilized because of foul balls."
The prefabricated restrooms will be installed in 120 to 150 days, so they will not be available for this summer’s ballgames. Langrehr Field, outside of the gates of the Sports Complex, currently has no restroom nearby for patrons. The new restroom will be open only during the summer months.