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In a state that’s also known for being home to America's Best Restroom, the Minneapolis City Council is reviewing how it could potentially increase access to more public ones downtown. Public restrooms downtown What we know: In May, the city’s Public Health and Safety Committee sought a research analysis to clarify the current public restroom situation in Minneapolis, in turn determining areas of increased need. The review also sought to review regulatory and zoning constraints for opportunities that could create standalone public restrooms in Minneapolis. Outside of special events, there are few publicly accessible restrooms downtown, the report found, with bring in publicly owned buildings with restricted hours and privately-owned restrooms. Businesses have restricted access to their restrooms in recent years, citing issues with people camping in them or doing drugs. The report found that from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, Minneapolis 311 received 27 complaints related to human feces in public areas. During roughly the same time period, 311 also received 26 reports relating to public urination. According to the study, some see a lack of public restrooms as a social justice issue as well as an infrastructural priority, with businesses potentially less likely to allow homeless people to use their facilities but feeling obligated to do so without other alternatives. Those bathrooms are also limited to business hours of operation. In 2017, Minneapolis required all city buildings to offer all-gender restrooms. Dig deeper: The full 62-page Restrooms Report can be found here: What's next: The Minneapolis City Council will decide on implementing several options to potentially alleviate the discomfort for those downtown. Created in Portland, the Portland Loo is a "freestanding, public restroom designed to deter criminal activity," according to its marketing. The standalone restroom costs $152,000-$185,000 per unit, but can be rented for$24,000 on an annual basis. The council could also seek to compel businesses to open their restrooms to the public through city ordinances.
