Hollywood's First Public Bathroom Advanced By City Council

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Hollywood is one step closer to having a visitor's center with the area's first public bathrooms.

In a 13-0 vote, the City Council this week authorized the Department of General Services to negotiate and execute a lease agreement with Hollywood Partnership Ventures for a city-owned property, located at 1627 Vine St. The site is expected to be developed into the Hollywood Walk of Fame Public Amenities Project.

"...Today, we are going to be approving for what will be, believe it or not, the first public bathroom in Hollywood," Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez said, who represents the Hollywood area.

According to the councilman, once the contract is finalized, he expects the project to be completed within a "year or so."

The Hollywood Walk of Fame Public Amenities Project is expected to provide restrooms and a concierge visitor information center. During operating hours, staff will be available to help visitors and so-called cleaning and safety ambassadors will be present, too.

The facility is operated by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and it includes a ground-level retail space that has been vacant for several years.

The city issued a request for proposals for the space in 2017, but received no responses. In 2018, an unsolicited offer for a one-year lease fell through.

With the Hollywood Walk of Fame right around the corner, city officials sought to transform this facility into a hub for visitors, and to address basic needs of unhoused people.

Social service providers, nearby residents, business and property owners have expressed strong support for such a project.

In March 2023, Hollywood Partnership Ventures — an affiliate of the Hollywood Partnership Community Trust, a nonprofit corporation, and the managing entity of the Hollywood Entertainment District business improvement district — stepped up and proposed a solution.

Soto-Martínez at the Hollywood Partnership's annual meeting in 2023 said the facility will help make the area more appealing to tourists and support economic development.

The proposed lease will be aligned with the terms of the Hollywood Entertainment District BID contract, which is in effect through Dec. 31, 2028.

According to a report from the General Services Department, HPCT is responsible for all costs related to the construction of the project.

Los Angeles is expected to provide $1 million through what is known as Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) Excess Bond Proceeds.

These bonds are specific to address blight, promote economic development and improve public infrastructure within designated areas throughout the city.

Additionally, the HPCT secured an additional $500,000 from the state of California to support design and construction work.

Los Angeles is lacking when it comes to public bathrooms. The 2021 Public Toilet Index report found LA's 189 public toilets amounted to five toilets per 100,000 people and 1.6 toilets for each 100 square kilometers (about 62 square miles).

San Francisco had 228 public toilets, or 26 per 100,000 people and 19 toilets per 100 square kilometers.