Daytona airport to get $287K for restrooms

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Daytona Beach International Airport will renovate its second floor bathrooms at a cost of $287,000. Volusia Chairman Jason Davis admitted he would have preferred it not cost so much.  "There may be some structural repair. It's going to be expensive."

We went inside of the men's restroom, one of two that will be redone along with the women's and found nothing inside that did not work. Still Chairman Davis says the restrooms have problems.  "We need a bathroom up there, and I've been in that bathroom, and there's cracks on the floors. Sometimes you get a little nervous when I see, when I am walking around on the seconnd floor and I see a big crack across the concrete floor. I'm wondering where the other side of the crack is and if I am going to fall through."

The restrooms themselves are less than 200 square feet each, so we asked the Chairman why it would cost to much.  "You've electrical. You've got plumbing. You are going to have insurance issues because you are on the second floor. Concrete floor, if something happens they bought it.  It's a fair price for construction, and as quickly as they are getting it done. I mean this is not a two-year project. This is a very short period project. In, out, get it done. Move on down the road."

The Chairman gave us a joking response when we mentioned to him that the median home price in Volusia County is $152,000, and each of the two restrooms will cost $143,500 to repair.

"Will your awfully nice house have seven latrines in it? No."

The money that will be used to replace the bathrooms comes from fees the airport collects from airlines, meaning passengers at Daytona International Airport are paying for the repairs when they buy plane tickets.