The Portland Loo, San Antonio’s first 24-hour, standalone public restroom, was officially unveiled and opened for business Thursday morning. The structure, located on South Alamo Street between Market and Commerce streets, is meant to reduce public urination and deter residents and visitors from turning to downtown businesses to use the bathroom.

The 18-foot-long stainless steel restroom raised the ire of a number of taxpayers, who saw the loo’s $97,700 price tag as an unnecessary use of tax dollars.

Overall, the bathroom cost more than $180,000, which included installation, engineering, contractor wages, utility work, and crane rentals.

(Read more: City Wants You to Name that Loo, $100,000 ‘Portland Loo’ Coming to Downtown San Antonio)

Image ©John Branch for the Rivard Report, 2016.

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