John Day was awarded a $35,000 grant from Travel Oregon, which will provide public restrooms on Main Street.  

Public Restrooms are one step closer on Main Street in John Day. 

Travel Oregon announced Feb. 25 John Day was awarded a $35,000 grant through the Destination Ready program for a pit stop outdoor plaza and restroom project. 

“The award was to purchase and site new restrooms at the parking lot,” City Manager Nick Green said. “These will be the only public restrooms on Main Street and will be a great place for people to stop, refresh and hopefully walk around and shop downtown.” 

Green said the decision hasn’t been made yet on the design of the project at Southwest Canton Street and Highway 26, the former Wright Chevrolet lot, and that the grant only funds the restrooms.

Grant money received from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Grant County Chamber of Commerce will be used to install signage and kiosks to notify people they can park and use the restrooms there, according to Green. The rest of the improvements, including the paving, will come later.

“We are excited to work with the chamber, the John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation District, Oregon RAIN, Grant County Economic Development, the farmer’s market, Eastern Oregon Visitors Association and Travel Oregon on this,” Green said. “It truly is a community-supported project, and it’s nice to see the community working together.”

While the press release from Travel Oregon highlights the community “pit stop” with food truck stalls, improved parking and new public restrooms in John Day, Green said the scope of this application and funding are just to place restrooms.

The John Day City Council discussed in January two different designs and opportunities for the site, but decided to focus on providing restrooms, parking and a multi-purpose area. 

“We talked about the potential to create a multi-use site that could include public art displays, hosting farmer’s market events and potentially food trucks or other services in the future, but the scope of this application and funding awarded from Travel Oregon was just to place restrooms,” Green said. 

“The award was to purchase and site new restrooms at the parking lot. These will be the only public restrooms on Main Street and will be a great place for people to stop, refresh and hopefully walk around and shop downtown.”

—Nick Green, John Day city manager