A complete renovation of the original 1972 restrooms in the Plymouth Cultural Center began last month in an effort to bring the facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The federal legislation requires all newly-constructed public facilities to be accessible to all members of the population.
City administration officials noted, however, that most of the Plymouth city-owned facilities were constructed prior to the enactment of the act, and retrofitting the older “grandfathered” public structures is usually very costly and not achievable within the annual city budget. Recently, however, with the help of State Rep. Matt Koleszar and Congresswoman Haley Stevens, the city received State of Michigan and federal funding to tackle some of the non-ADA compliant projects. The renovation at the Cultural Center requires rotating the restroom 90 degrees to accommodate all required ADA standards.
The floors will be saw cut for new plumbing, cinder block walls will be moved, all doorways will be expanded, and existing bathroom fixtures will be replaced, officials said.“We anticipate that the restrooms in the Cultural Center will be completed by May 26. Upon their completion, construction will shift to the Ice Arena restrooms where the process will begin all over again, with the final stage of construction expected to be completed by Aug. 19.
“This project has been a long time coming,” said Recreation Director Steve Anderson. “We're so thankful our elected leaders have been able to help us out with grants so we can make the facility fully inclusive for all.”
