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Youth speakers, staff and volunteers press Redmond council over firehouse closure and teen center access
Summary
Multiple residents and youth representatives told Redmond City Council on July 15 that closures, limited access, and placement of furniture at the former firehouse site have reduced teen gathering space. Speakers praised a newly formed subcommittee and called for transparency about the closure and restoration of teen services.
Several teen participants, youth‑serving staff and community volunteers told the Redmond City Council on July 15 that the city’s closure of the longtime firehouse teen space and recent decisions about the site have left young people with fewer safe, accessible places to gather.
Wolf Adriatico, a frequent teen‑space speaker, described watching teens use the space and said the placement of furniture and limited access made them feel unheard: "I just felt as I was watching them, like, my heart sank because I knew that it being there meant we weren't being listened to." He added that requests repeatedly to remove certain furniture have gone unmet.
Multiple commenters at the meeting linked the firehouse closure to broader concerns about loss of community cultural spaces. Chester Anderson described the firehouse as part of a local music and arts culture that he said is being lost and said the closure worsened feelings of disconnection among teens and volunteers. Several speakers connected the issue to teen mental health and asked the council to prioritize teen programming and restore trusted adult staff who youth identified as essential supports.
Teen leadership and staff praised a recently formed council subcommittee on teen services. Max Roman, who identified himself as a staff member, thanked council members Fields, Slahuddin and Anderson for creating the subcommittee and urged the council to move the subcommittee's work forward and hold listening sessions.
Noah Radford, an online commenter, asked the council to place public proclamations after items from the audience and urged the council to involve the teens and trusted adults — he named Jeff Hagen as an adult youth participants trust — when setting the firehouse’s future. "Work with the teens," Radford said, adding that the formation of the subcommittee should include youth participants.
What happened at the meeting: Multiple speakers used the public comment period to press the council for more transparency and quicker action around teen programming and the former firehouse site. Speakers credited a council motion that created a subcommittee; public commenters asked for the subcommittee to include youth representatives and those directly affected.
Clarifying details from testimony: Speakers reported ongoing access and safety concerns at the teen space (described as poor circulation and limited air conditioning) and said some furniture placed in the building remained despite requests to remove it. Several speakers connected the closure to a city decision in March (as referenced by commenters) and said notice and communication to the community surrounding that closure were inadequate.
Next steps and context: Commenters asked the council to ensure the newly formed subcommittee holds listening sessions with teens and to consider placing trusted youth workers, including named adults, in future planning. The council acknowledged the public comments; no formal action resolving the facility’s status was taken at the July 15 meeting.
