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

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

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.