Good news for anyone who’s ever sprinted through Wicker Park in search of a bathroom: Chicago is finally getting its first city-backed public restroom—and yes, it’ll clean itself.

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) confirmed that after years of lobbying, permits and polite but urgent public pleas, a free, standalone restroom is officially on its way. The futuristic loo will open somewhere in the 1st Ward in 2026, though the exact location is still under wraps. “The contract is now signed and counter-signed,” La Spata told Block Club Chicago this week . “The unit is being refurbished; the infrastructure estimate is being drawn up. We are really doing this.”

The toilet will come courtesy of JCDecaux, the same French company responsible for the city’s bus shelters and other street furni

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