Council hears options for CWU-owned facility as residents push thrift shop and senior uses

City staff told the Sammamish City Council on May 13 that Central Washington University will vacate the city‑owned facility at 122 20th Avenue NE at the end of the school year and presented three broad options for the building’s future: find a single anchor tenant to lease the entire facility, sell the property, or keep ownership and operate the building as a city or community facility.

The issue matters because the building is currently a subleased community hub that houses programs including the YMCA, tutoring groups and a Microsoft commuter parking program; it sits on roughly 22 acres adjacent to wetlands and will require zoning or a new conditional use permit for continued community use. Staff told council the short‑term transition costs if the city maintains ownership are estimated at $175,000–$275,000, with ongoing basic operations about $190,000 a year and an additional planning estimate of roughly $350,000 annually if the city amortizes the facility condition needs identified in a 2022 assessment (about $5,000,000 over 15 years).

At the start of the meeting, multiple members of the public urged the council to use the CWU property for community services. Sally Farrell, introduced as the board president of Sammamish Friends, said the nonprofit has a formal proposal for a thrift shop and wants space at the CWU campus. "We will have a formal advisory board for the thrift…