A new restroom facility might soon come to The Lot, the city’s downtown Mobile Vendor Plaza (MVP) program.
The Richmond City Council is set to decide at its meeting Tuesday whether to set aside as much as $36,000 for the restroom upgrade to the market located in a city-owned parking lot at 1401 Macdonald Ave., at Marina Way. The plaza currently operates Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The new facility is intended to be secure when not in use and designed to be consistent with the Mobile Vendor Program’s branding.
The restroom upgrade is the latest in a series of enhancements aimed at strengthening the appeal and functionality of The Lot. Several recent and ongoing improvements have already been completed or are in progress, such as new asphalt paving and a revised parking layout completed in April 2025, the addition of decorative pavement paint, installation of solar lighting, procurement of new site furnishings, landscaping renovations, painting of existing features, and renovating the portable restroom area itself.
The Mobile Vendor Program was launched following mounting concerns in fall 2023 about an increasing number of sidewalk vendors operating without required health permits, occupying sidewalks and parking spots. In July last year, the City Council imposed regulations to curb this practice and created The Lot in order to provide a safe and vibrant location for vendors to operate. The city partnered with the Richmond Farmers Market Association to implement the program, which now serves as a business incubator for vendors working toward compliance and eventual business growth.
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