SOUTH BEND, Ind.—The City of South Bend broke ground on a new project to improve restroom facilities at public parks Wednesday.

Twelve neighborhood parks will get ADA compliant bathrooms, equipped with new fixtures and sidewalks.

Rum Village on South Gertrude will be the first park to be upgraded.

"I would call this a basic need, something that's, quite frankly, well overdue,” said Aaron Perri, Executive Director of Venues, Parks, and Arts. “All of this certainly should serve to bring additional folks outside, and drive really things like economic impact, improve public health, and improve basically what I like to call social unity."

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