Veterans

City Commits to Permanent Restrooms at Veterans Memorial Park

The Veterans Memorial Park Foundation is welcoming Mayor Reeves’ pledge to replace a temporary trailer with a prefabricated four-stall facility at Pensacola’s “Jewel on the Bay.”

The long wait for permanent restrooms at Veterans Memorial Park may finally be over.

The Veterans Memorial Park Foundation announced yesterday that, following a conversation with Mayor D.C. Reeves, the City of Pensacola has committed to moving forward with plans for a prefabricated four-stall permanent restroom facility at the downtown bayfront park. The new facility would be installed in the area previously occupied by a temporary restroom trailer.

A 12-Year Saga

The push for permanent restrooms at the park has been a longtime priority for the Foundation and the broader veteran community, which has argued that a temporary trailer does not befit the solemn character of a site that honors America’s fallen service members.

“For years, the Foundation and the veteran community have advocated for permanent restroom facilities that adequately serve the public while respecting the solemn and dignified character of Veterans Memorial Park. What matters now is moving forward with a practical solution that can finally be completed and put into service for the veterans, families, and visitors who use the park every day.”

— John Maddox, President, Veterans Memorial Park Foundation

The park draws thousands of veterans, families, visitors, volunteers, and event attendees each year and serves as the site of numerous ceremonies honoring those who served. Read VMPF Media Release 20260528

Mayor Reeves: ‘Water Under the Bridge’

Speaking at his weekly press conference on Wednesday, May 27, Mayor Reeves offered a detailed account of the project’s tortured history—and expressed confidence it would finally be resolved.

Reeves framed the issue as a 12-year effort that had gained real traction only in the past three years, noting that no money had been invested toward a permanent restroom in the first nine years of that saga. He said the City’s standard practice—collecting community feedback from residents and park users before executing a project—had effectively already been handled by the VMP Foundation’s own stewardship of the park.

He described a failed RFP process in which the Foundation assured the City it had garnered contractor interest sufficient to come in under budget, only for no bidders to appear at the pre-bid meeting and the project to go over budget, forcing a restart.

“Most recently, we had conversations about something that was prefabbed, whether it be a Portland Loo or something else in recent months, that idea had been rejected by the VMP board. So all that to say, we all want the same thing. We all want to have a restroom facility there.”

— Mayor D.C. Reeves, May 27, 2026

Reeves pointed to other City restroom installations—at MLK Plaza, Palafox Market, the skate park, and Bruce Beach—as evidence that the City is committed to public facilities.

“We’re going to get this done faster. We’re going to put a prefab bathroom in, and we’re ready to execute on that. And we know that that’s something that can happen within budget. I have 1,000% confidence that our public works department, our team that’s on top of this, will get this bathroom executed, and we’re going to land where we all want to land.”

— Mayor D.C. Reeves, May 27, 2026

What’s Next

The Foundation said it looks forward to continued coordination with the City on project timelines, design, and installation planning. Reeves indicated the City intends to move forward to get the prefabricated facility built. No construction schedule has been publicly announced.