Chicago Neighborhood Gets Self-Cleaning Public Restroom from Paris

A self-cleaning public restroom is close to opening in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, according to CBS News Chicago.

The restroom is going in at the triangle intersection of Ashland Ave., Milwaukee Ave. and Division St., next to a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train stop.

The self-sanitizing pod is equipped with a power-washing system that cleans and disinfects the toilet and the floor for a few minutes after each use. 

The restrooms are in some U.S. cities such as San Francisco, and Paris has over 400. In fact, the one in West Town is a decommissioned one from a French company, the news agency reported.

Chicago Alderman Daniel Laspata’s (1st Ward) office said the restroom pod was free, but the plumbing cost the city around US$400,000.

People who go by the triangle every day said construction for the plumbing started a few months ago, but the structure for the bathroom went up recently. In the spring, La Spata’s office said it would be up and running by the end of the year. CBS News Chicago reached out to confirm a more specific date but is still waiting to hear back.