City completes Indian Hills Park permanent restroom for $90,757 using in‑house crews

Moscow city staff told the City Council on May 5 that a permanent restroom at Indian Hills Park (1830 S. Blaine St.) has been installed for a total cost of $90,757, substantially below earlier engineer estimates and public bids.

City staff and crews assembled a cross‑department team that included parks, streets, water, sewer and building-inspection staff. The team managed directional boring for utilities, installed a grinder pump and force main for sewer due to elevation constraints, coordinated a crane lift for the prebuilt restroom unit, poured concrete and completed landscaping and ADA parking access. The project preserved park access during work and used a mix of in-house labor and selected subcontracted tasks (crane, some electrical and flatwork).

Council staff said the city’s engineer estimate in earlier procurements was about $146,622, and a prior low bid had been about $269,205. By tracking man hours, equipment hours and material costs, city crews completed the installation for $90,757. City managers called the result a potential model for selected in‑house construction projects where staff capacity, equipment and project scope align.

Councilors praised crews and said the project improved park amenities and accessibility; staff said restroom cleaning is on a contracted rotation and will continue under the parks maintenance program. Staff also said they will review other elements of the capital improvement program to identify projects where in-house work could be cost-effective without sacrificing routine maintenance.

Why it matters The project replaced a screened portable restroom with a permanent facility, improving accessibility and amenities for families using Indian Hills Park. Staff described the cost savings as driven by careful planning, internal coordination and limiting subcontracted components to only those tasks the city does not own equipment for (for example, crane work).