Seaside Heights to Add Boardwalk Bathrooms, Eliminate Hot Showers

The Seaside Heights boardwalk hot shower concession. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Seaside Heights will expand its main boardwalk comfort station in time for the summer, but it will be at the expense of the hot shower concession.

As the borough attracts more families to its boardwalk, lines have gotten longer for restrooms, officials have found. This summer, with a much-expanded beach, even more guests could decide to come to town. And, of course, nature eventually calls.

Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz said the hot shower concession between Webster and Hamilton avenues will be converted into a new restroom facility. The renovation will add eight stalls in the women’s bathroom and five urinals in the men’s bathroom, which should help alleviate lines. Construction is estimated to cost about $250,000, with the borough issuing bonds for $237,500 in order to finance the project.

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“I hate to lose the showers, but we do need more bathrooms,” said Pete Smith, who has held the contract for the hot shower concession for years. He operated the business under the humorous corporate name “Pete’s Boardwalk Empire.”

“The lines are definitely too long,” he added.

The Seaside Heights boardwalk hot shower concession. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The borough amicably worked out an agreement with Smith to allow him to lease and operate a parking lot in exchange for giving up his contract to operate the showers.