Redmond officials order assessments, move teen programs after safety concerns close Old Firehouse Teen Center

Redmond City Council studied the future of the Old Firehouse Teen Center on April 22, after city parks staff moved most teen programs to the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village citing building deterioration and hazardous materials. Parks and Recreation Director Lorraine Hamilton told the council the city has not made a final decision on the property and will return with engineer and hazardous‑materials assessments this summer.

The move follows years of maintenance and earlier facility condition assessments that flagged the building as “poor.” Hamilton said the city closed teen programs at the Old Firehouse because staff determined it could no longer be safely maintained while required disruptive investigations and abatements continued.

The closure was intended to preserve continuity of services. Hamilton said staff shifted “the vast majority of the programs to the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village” to keep teen services running, expand space and accessibility, and reduce safety risks while the city studies the building. She told the council the RCCMV location has more staff coverage and ADA accessibility and that “next week, the furniture will be going into that space” as staff work with teens to customize it.

Why it matters: the Old Firehouse is a long‑used teen space with music, classes and drop‑in hours. The council and staff emphasized centering teen voice as they weigh options for the building’s future, and they set a public timetable for more technical work and community engagement.

What the city reported - Building condition and hazards: Hamilton reviewed prior condition assessments and a 2024 assessment that placed the facility condition index near 0.23 and marked the building as in poor condition. She said the building — roughly 8,600 square feet — has original single‑pane windows, a roof past its useful life, a hose tower with unsupported masonry, structural concerns in the foundation, code and ADA compliance issues, obsolete electrical/fire alarm/security systems, and hazardous materials throughout the structure. Hamilton noted hazardous‑materials abatement is required for even small disturbances; she gave a cost example of about $4,000 to abate roughly a 5-by-5 area of wall that became friable. - Operational history and use: the Old Firehouse operated Tuesday–Thursday 3:30–8 p.m. and Friday 3:30–6 p.m., offering drop‑in spaces, classes and a music program (open mics, acoustic sets and poetry slams). Since September, staff tracked 122 unique users and 31 Ripe Pack members; the site was heavily used during summer camps. - Immediate actions taken: staff moved youth programming primarily to the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village, are building a recording/practice space there, and have begun work to engage an outside structural engineer for a full assessment and to update the earlier “good faith” hazardous‑materials inspection. - Next steps and process: Hamilton said the city will return to council with assessment results “this summer” (she indicated July as a goal) and then engage the community on options, centering teen voices. Two listening sessions are scheduled for April 28 and May 28 at the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village. Hamilton said staff will bring a menu of options, cost ranges and resource implications to the public and council before any decision.

Council questions and concerns Several council members pressed staff for clarity about why the facility was closed now rather than waiting until total failure, and whether moving programs signaled a predecided outcome. Hamilton and other staff said the closure decision followed a judgment that the city had reached a “nexus” where continued safe operation was no longer possible given compounding structural, code and hazardous‑material issues and the staffing resources needed to keep the site habitable. Hamilton said moving programs was a staff decision to maintain uninterrupted services for youth while the building is studied, not a final decision on the property’s future.

Mayor Angela Bernie told the council there are no “behind the scenes” plans with developers and that only safety decisions and program relocations have occurred to date.

Engineering and hazardous‑materials work Hamilton explained the immediate technical steps: staff will contract a structural engineer to perform a full structural assessment — deeper than the rapid visual facility condition assessment — and will “truth out” the earlier hazardous‑materials inspection against current codes and conditions. Hamilton said the city has not done significant abatement recently and does not expect substantial new findings, but staff want up‑to‑date confirmations before presenting options to the public.

Community engagement Hamilton and other council members reiterated that the city plans robust, youth‑centered engagement once the assessments are complete. Parks staff said they are conducting ongoing outreach (school visits, pop‑ups and listening sessions) and plan a formal community engagement process on options this fall after the council workshop planned for July.

Discussion vs. action The council study session produced no vote or formal council action. Staff described administrative decisions already taken (program relocation and contracting for assessments) and presented planned next steps. Hamilton said the return to council with assessment results will enable a full public discussion and deliberation on outcomes.

Ending note Hamilton and council members urged teens and community members to attend the April 28 and May 28 listening sessions at the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village; she reiterated the city’s stated intent to center teen voice in any future decisions about the Old Firehouse property.