Milwaukee's Southside Mitchell Street Mall Restricts Use Of Restrooms For Only Employees, No Public Restrooms

Wide spread City violations reported by citizens that more and more local businesses, gas stations and many food stores are restricting use of their restrooms.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 2, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The new management at Mitchell Street Mall, 1030 W. Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee has locked its restrooms and put up a small sign by the front door indicating " Sorry No Public Restrooms" and on the doors of the locked bathrooms, it's posted "Restricted Area Employees Only".

Some vendors and employees inside the mall have different views about the restrooms being restricted.

One employee of a vendor says that he is not authorized to open the restroom to anyone. Another vendor says, if people in the mall want to use the restroom, then they would have to ask a security guard in the mall.

Another employee says that the restrooms should be accessible to anyone visiting the mall, especially for those in need to use a restroom.

In many other locations including gas stations, restrictions are enforced and only allow customers to use the restroom, but it other businesses or gas stations, they post signs that the restroom is out of order, which is left posted everyday.

There been cases where non-customers use a restroom to bath and clean up, especially the homeless, in other cases people use restrooms to shoot up drugs.

The City of Milwaukee requires licensed business to have restrooms accessible to the public visiting the business and gas stations.

In most cases, people don't complain to the City that businesses and many gas stations don't have restrooms available to the public that they depend as customers.

The owner of the building at 1020-1030 W. Historic Mitchell Street is Schuster Historic Bldg LLC.

As a result of businesses and gas station restrictive and alleged illegal restroom policies, an increase of public urination and defecation in the area is left creating a public biohazard in the neighborhood.

Biohazards are any material that can possibly contain infectious diseases. For example, human feces can contain diseases such as C. diff, Hepatitis A and E, Giardia, E coli, Cholera, and Norovirus.

If you encounter a similar situation of a business or gas station that won't let you use the restroom or has restrictions prohibiting use of a restroom, you can contact your Milwaukee City Alderman/Alderwoman at City Hall, 414-286-2221.