A gaggle of television camera operators and smartphone-toting residents trained their lenses on San Francisco’s newest public toilet in Noe Valley Town Square on Sunday, where a party was underway celebrating its completion after prolonged controversy.

Janell Pekkain was tempted to test out the celebrity toilet that made international news for its original $1.7 million price tag, but she demurred, daunted by the media spotlight.

“I don’t want to be filmed,” Pekkain, 61, said. …