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Theater, gallery in running for best bathrooms in U.S.

Tampa Theatre

Tampa Theatre is one of two local venues vying to have the best public bathroom in America.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 2, 2009

The stately restrooms at Tampa Theatre may date to the 1920s, but they are among the top 10 vying for the current title of America's best public restroom.

Also, Nova 535, an art gallery/lounge in St. Petersburg, is among the finalists in the annual contest sponsored by the Cintas Corporation (which manufactures and sells work uniforms).

The two Tampa area restrooms are in the running against the restrooms in Radio City Music Hall, the Drake Hotel in Chicago, the Tremont Plaza Hotel in Baltimore and the Venetian Resort's Zeffirino Ristorante in Las Vegas.

Tara Schroeder, community relations director for the historic Tampa Theatre, is flush with excitement over making the top 10.

"This is exciting because we have known for a long time that our restrooms are unique," she says.

She says that after The Tampa Tribune published an article about the annual contest this year, she entered the theater in the competition.

Tampa Theatre was created by architectural designer John Eberson, one of the most prolific and internationally renowned movie palace designers of his time.

The movie house's restrooms feature Vitrolite glass on the walls and intricate tile designs. In the men's room are sconces in the shape of men's smoking pipes (in the 1920s, smoking was allowed in the restrooms).

And the ladies restroom has a small child-sized stall, which Schroeder says gives the room a certain charm and je ne sais quoi. "The small stall is a unique feature that gets a lot of comments, especially when we are sold out and adults try to use it," she adds.

The Nova 535 restrooms are at the other end of the spectrum of restrooms. The 10 ultra modern restroom suites feature "full-length solid birch stall doors and Italian mocha travertine with black granite diamond inserts in a completely touchless environment."

Online voting on www.bestrestroom.com runs through July 31. The site also profiles the restrooms in the running. The winner will be announced in August. The top five are added to Cintas's Restroom Hall of Fame and the top restroom gets a plaque.

Other finalists include Shoji Tabuchi Theatre, Branson, Mo.; Canlis Restaurant, Seattle; Macy's in Union Square, sixth floor, San Francisco; and The Fox Theatre, Detroit.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

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