Seaside Heights Planning Upgrades to Boardwalk Restroom Facilities

The Seaside Heights boardwalk, Oct. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Seaside Heights is in the beginning stages of planning to upgrade its restroom facilities along the boardwalk, officials said this week. The emphasis will be on modernization and automation, according to officials.

“We’re looking at reorganizing our bathrooms on the boardwalk,” said Mayor Anthony Vaz, responding to a question from a resident about the facilities near the center of town.

The restrooms near Webster Avenue will be among the first to be replaced as part of a larger plan to upgrade the smaller restroom facilities and build a larger bathhouse with showers on the north end. The bathhouse, which will be funded by a federal grant, will also include a new restroom area.

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“Webster needs to be replaced,” said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, adding that he is consulting with the borough’s lifeguard captain and public works superintendent to determine whether the facility can be renovated in-house or if an outside contractor must be hired to perform the upgrades.

“It ties into some other problems we haven’t been able to solve – we did a renovation about five years ago when we had water leakage, but it really needs to be gutted and start from scratch,” he said. “It’s a reconstruction project.”

Vaz told Shorebeat separately that the borough is seeking to renovate its smaller restrooms as a whole, likely using automated technology including self-cleaning systems. The borough currently operates small restroom sites at Hiering, Kearney, and Webster avenues. Public restrooms are also available south of Dupont Avenue, but are privately-owned as part of an agreement that was struck when the borough permitted food service kiosks to be constructed on the southern end. The public restroom is located adjacent to the Ocean Club restaurant.

“The future brings stainless steel, automatic wash so our attendants can work quickly, and it’s definitely on the agenda,” said Anthony Vaz at Wednesday’s meeting.

The bathhouse near Hiering Avenue will be located on the footprint of a previous facility that is no longer standing. Funded through a $1.6 million federal grant, the bathhouse will be constructed at what is now an empty lot directly north of the property at 1515 Ocean Terrace, across from the viewing platform at the northern terminus of the boardwalk.

“For the bath house we’re looking at ‘smart-cleaning’ concepts which would include spigots for hoses and floor drains,” Christopher Vaz said.

That project is currently being planned for construction once a state environmental permit is issued under the Coastal Areas Facilities Review Act (CAFRA) and will get underway in 2025, according to the mayor.

“We’re going to have new bathrooms at the north end – not ready, I don’t think, this summer because we’re looking at starting it in the spring,” he said.

Regardless of the timelines, which are in flux due to the projects being in the planning stages, Seaside Heights is firmly committed to upgrading its facilities for long-term cleanliness and durability, officials said.