A controversial $1.7 million public toilet will now cost San Francisco $300,000. That’s how

The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has announced a new price for a controversial $1.7 million public toilet in a park in the Noah Valley area.

A generous donation helped bring the cost of the toilet down to $300,000.

The planned restroom was to be built on the corner of Noe Valley Town Square Park, which would be a welcome addition for some people who dine or bring their children to the area.

“It would definitely be nice to have a bathroom without having to rely on a local business,” said San Francisco resident Amanda Specht.

But the initial cost was a shock and caused a backlash.

“This is outrageous and I am not surprised by this outrage,” Specht said. But this is San Francisco.

The debate over the seemingly inflated price tag has become so heated that Gov. Gavin Newsom has suspended distribution of public funds earmarked for the public toilet. The much lower price the city would have to pay for the restroom came after a couple of companies teamed up to donate San Francisco’s prefabricated restroom and offered to pay for shipping and most of the installation costs.

A spokesman for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department said they would contact the governor’s office and ask for some of the money that was put on hold for the project to be returned to help fund a similar project at Precita Park.

The Recreation and Parks Department plans to spend $300,000 to hire a landscape design firm to draw up site plans, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work. In addition, the work will include obtaining permits, environmental impact assessments and other administrative costs.

I hope that the new toilet will be installed by the end of summer.