
By Sara Beth Williams–
After being closed for nearly a year, the restrooms on the east side of Rusch Community Park are back open.
A representative from Sunrise Recreation and Park District confirmed that the restrooms nearest the Rusch Park Community Center and basketball courts reopened at the end of 2024 after having been forced to close in February last year due to repeated incidents of vandalism.
A sign posted in mid-February 2024 stated that the restrooms had closed, and several portable toilets were seen in the parking lot for much of last year. All portable toilets have since been removed.
The closure was due to a pair of sewer ejector discharge pumps that failed, according to an email from Wayne Edmundson, superintendent of Parks and Facilities at Sunrise Recreation and Park District. The failure of the discharge pumps was a regular occurrence due to multiple instances of vandalism.
In the past few years, the park district has spent “a small fortune” trying to keep the facility operational, Edmundson said. The pumps become damaged when large materials and solid objects are flushed down the system.
Except for restrooms specifically used inside the gated pool area, there is only one public restroom facility on the east side of the park, where a basketball court, two playgrounds, and a covered picnic area are located.
After being closed for nearly a year, the restrooms on the east side of Rusch Community Park are now...
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