The Estacada Area Chamber of Commerce soon will receive a $10,000 tourism development grant to remodel a bathroom at City Hall for expanded public use.

Chamber Administrator Connie Redmond was informed of the grant through a letter dated March 26 from Jae Heidenreich of the Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office.

“She’s been very supportive in helping us get on the cycling bandwagon,” Redmond said.

Heidenreich recently spoke during a chamber luncheon about the ways in which the city can create economic opportunity by promoting bicycle tourism. Redmond said the grant will go a long way towards achieving those aims.

“It’s been an issue for years, that we have no public restroom,” Redmond said. “This is really our opportunity to show that we welcome visitors.”

Steve Lock has been selected as the contractor for the job, which will involve remodeling the bathroom at the back corner of City Hall.

“It’s going to be very basic,” Redmond said. “There is not going to be access from City Hall. There’s an existing window there, and that will be turned into a door. The only access will be from outside.”

Once the project is completed, Redmond said, the restroom should be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The grant should cover most of the construction costs, Redmond said. But the chamber will be seeking help and in-kind donations for painting, fixtures and perhaps even timed locks for the doors, “so we don’t have to have somebody come down to open and close it.”

“There are other expenses that we hope the community with help us with,” she said.

The overall vision is to create an area with bike racks and information for visitors.

“That will make it more of a stopping point for people as they come through and head out on their bikes,” Redmond said. “It’s fabulous that we got this. It was a shot in the dark, and we got it.”