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Seattle is moving 2 new high-tech bathrooms after just 2 months

Melissa Santos

Green sign reads "Free Restroom" with "Baño Gratis" and icons for men and wheelchair. Behind it, a green-yellow Metro bus passes by; trees and cranes are visible in the background. — The bathrooms open by QR code or text message and have programmed time limits. Photo: Seattle Department of Transportation

Two public bathrooms that Seattle officials installed by Lumen Field ahead of the World Cup are already set to move, The Urbanist reports.

Why it matters: The decision to move the restrooms highlights the tension between preserving the historic character of Seattle's oldest neighborhood and adding new, high-tech places to pee.

Catch up quick: The two bathrooms, which open using QR codes and are solar-powered, were installed in May.

A nearby property owner then appealed their installation, arguing they don't meet Pioneer Square's historic character guidelines, KNKX reports.
Rather than fight the appeal, the city agreed to move the restrooms instead.

Context: The two bathrooms by the stadium — made by a company called Throne — are part of a yearlong pilot project, which also included two others installed by Smith Tower.

What's next: The stadium-area restrooms are slated to move somewhere else in Pioneer Square next month.

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Seattle is moving 2 new high-tech bathrooms after just 2 months

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