Lafayette company move enhances Wabash

Lafayette, Ind. - Midwest Rentals plans to open a new West Lafayette branch, where portable restrooms now stored on the river front will be relocated.

The portable restrooms on the river bank near First Street and Wabash Avenue in Lafayette could soon be removed. Midwest Rentals got approval from the Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission to rezone the former Henry Poor Lumber Company site on Klondike Road to accommodate them. The company is closing its river front and downtown Lafayette locations and moving to the west side. The main office on U.S. 231 will remain on the east side.

"We've outgrown our location we're at now," said Midwest Rentals Operations Manager Paul Fassnacht.

That move could allow for Wabash River front enhancement in the future.

"The current site of the Midwest Rentals port a potties is an ideal site for future development for numerous river projects," said County Commissioner Tom Murtaugh.

The change in zoning from General Business to Planned Development will let MidWest Rentals keep up to 1,500 portable restrooms at the new site. The company currently has 500. All the units will be cleaned before being stored.

"We empty the waste tank and the john is moved empty." said Fassnacht

Once back at the storage site, the portable restrooms will be rinsed with water. That water will be saved and hauled to the sewage treatment plant. Midwest Rentals said odor won't be an issue. News Channel 18 spoke with people in the neighborhood near the river where the movable bathrooms are kept currently. Residents said they have never noticed a smell. You also won't be able to see the bathrooms at the new location. More than 40 blue spruce trees will be planted around the storage site. The company said another benefit of the move is convenience for customers.

"We can have two locations so the customer can pick up stuff from the west side instead of having to head south of town," added Fassnacht.

The Midwest-West location, as it's nicknamed, is expected to open mid-summer 2010.