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Teens, advocates press Redmond council to reopen Old Firehouse; council schedules study session July 22
Summary
Multiple teen users and community members urged the Redmond City Council to reverse or pause the closure of the Old Firehouse teen center and asked for a subcommittee. Council members said a structural assessment will be presented at a July 22 study session and a broader teen-services review is scheduled for Sept. 9.
Dozens of Redmond teens, parents and advocates urged the City Council on June 17 to reopen or temporarily restore teen services after the closure of the Old Firehouse (OFH), saying the move removed a longstanding community space and harmed youth programming.
Several public commenters described lost community, music and drop‑in space and questioned the city’s decision-making and communication. Connor Graham, who said he had relied on the Old Firehouse for years, told the council the relocation made him feel unsafe and excluded: “When we went to the first…community center show I genuinely did not feel comfortable dressing how I want to be.”
Attorney and community member Sasha Glenn urged faster action on a promised subcommittee and said public-records items show city staff discussed closing the OFH as early as July 2024. Glenn told the council she had emailed members and had heard only from Council Member Fields in reply.
Council Members and staff told speakers they expect next steps. Council Member Stewart said the council will receive a structural-engineering assessment of the facility at a study session scheduled for July 22 and that a broader study session on teen services is scheduled for Sept. 9. Stewart said staff were also funded in the budget to assess teen programming citywide.
Council Member Fields said she had urged moving more quickly to form a subcommittee and said the council has power to act for vulnerable groups. Council leadership said they would work with the mayor’s office and staff to arrange a stakeholder process similar to the one used when the city updated the Redmond Senior Community Center, and said the city aims for the advisory group to be teen‑centered and teen‑driven as information becomes available following the July assessment.
Several commenters compared the Old Firehouse’s physical conditions favorably with the temporary spaces now used for teen programs, saying the relocated spaces lack climate control, fenced outdoor areas and acoustically suitable studios. One commenter described concerns about heat and inadequate cooling at the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village (RCCMV). Speakers named Parks Director Lorraine Hamilton as the staff member responsible for facility assessments; community members requested a clearer public accounting of the basis for the OFH closure.
No formal council motion to reopen or temporarily restore the Old Firehouse was made at the June 17 meeting. The only formal direction was scheduling of the July 22 study session to review the structural assessment; council members said further stakeholder work will follow after that presentation.
