Teens, residents press Redmond council to reopen Old Firehouse after March program moves; city orders engineering review

Dozens of teens and residents urged the Redmond City Council on May 6 to reverse or better explain the March relocation of teen programs from the Old Firehouse teen center, saying the move disrupted services, removed a youth-specific venue and left young people feeling unheard.

Mayor Angela Birney told the council the city moved teen programs in March because "the old firehouse building faces serious challenges, including the presence of hazardous materials and structural issues." Birney said the city has been maintaining the building to keep it safe but that the work has become "increasingly demanding and unsustainable." She said no final decision has been made about the building's future and that the council will decide next steps through a public process.

Why it matters: the Old Firehouse has operated as an all-ages teen venue and performance space for years. Residents and teens said the building provides a unique, youth-centered environment that cannot be replicated by splitting programs among existing civic facilities.

Speakers in the packed public-comment period described emotional impacts, logistical barriers and what they said was a lack of genuine engagement before the move. Forrest Crabb, 16, said, "There's a difference between being heard and someone listening to you," and urged officials to match listening with action. Multiple speakers described difficulties using the new locations — the Redmond Community Center at Miramar Village and other sites — and said performers and sound technicians struggled with the substitute venues.

Teen advocate and Seattle University professor Cameron Collins urged the city to perform formal safety studies rather than relying on assumptions: "If that's the purported reason that you're closing it, then I think you need to make those studies happen that would prove that it is unsafe rather than just making that assumption," he said.

Several speakers said the city moved furniture into replacement sites despite negative feedback from teens. Sasha Glenn, a youth organizer, said the petition drive opposing the closure had "nearing 4,000 signatures," and multiple speakers asked the council to temporarily reopen the Old Firehouse while the city completes assessments.

Council response and next steps: Councilmember Fields said he will propose a motion at the next business meeting (two weeks) requesting the facility be reopened within two weeks; Fields later said he is verifying with the city attorney whether the council may direct the mayor or only request reopening. Mayor Birney and staff said the city will commission a full structural engineering assessment and include the hazardous-materials report; staff and the engineering report are expected to return to council and the community in July.

The mayor also encouraged community feedback through the city's teen-services webpage (redmond.gov/teenservices) and described listening sessions and online questionnaires the city is using to gather input on teen programs and future options.

What was not decided: no vote was taken, and the council did not direct a formal policy change during the meeting. The mayor said the intent is to use a public process with study sessions and community engagement before any long-term decision about the Old Firehouse is made.