Hundreds of residents and teens urge Redmond Council to reverse closure of Old Firehouse Teen Center

The Redmond City Council heard more than three hours of public comment April 15 from teenagers, parents, alumni and longtime residents urging the city to reverse the administrative decision to move teen programs out of the Old Firehouse Teen Center and to preserve the building for youth services.

Council Vice President Jessica Forsyth, acting as mayor pro tem, opened the public-comment period by summarizing the city’s decision to relocate teen programs to the Redmond Community Center at Miramar Village, citing hazardous materials and structural issues at the Old Firehouse and saying that the city moved programs to “ensure we could continue to meet the standards of our community.” She said no final decision has been made on the future of the building and that the council will discuss next steps at a study session on April 22.

Why it matters: Commenters described the Old Firehouse as a long-running, youth-led space whose sudden administrative closure on March 28 disrupted programming, transportation and the mental-health supports many teens rely on. Speakers stressed that the new Miramar Village spaces feel sterile, less accessible and not dedicated to teens, and they warned loss of the Old Firehouse would erode cultural and artistic opportunities on the Eastside.

Dozens of current and former program participants appeared before the council to describe the center’s functions. “Originally when I first walked into the Firehouse Teen Center, I could immediately feel that it was a welcoming environment,” said Mahika, who runs crochet workshops and said the Miramar drop-in felt closed off by check-in requirements. A former on-site director described the program’s 30-year history of youth leadership and arts programming and said alumni have gone on to careers in law, media and touring music.

Multiple teens said the relocated spaces are harder to reach without reliable transit and lack the informal, youth-run atmosphere that made the Old Firehouse welcoming. Forrest, 16, testified that losing the center has been “degrading on my mental health” and cited national youth mental-health statistics in urging the council to consider the social-harm implications of the closure. Onyx said, “We are not like items. We are not cost to be cut,” and called the move a threat to youth well-being.

Parents and community members also urged transparency about the decision and about whether existing budgeted teen-outreach funds were spent before the relocation. One speaker asked why more than $70,000 included in the 2025 budget for teen outreach had not been used, and several asked whether landmark designation or fundraising could support restoration.

Several speakers suggested a collaborative planning process that includes teens. “I ask that on the study session on the 22nd, the council invites some youth to come out on the table and make our needs clear,” said a former recreation leader who had worked at the Old Firehouse.

Council response and next steps: Council members repeatedly thanked speakers and reiterated that the council has not made a final decision about the building’s future. Councilmember O’Tam (Councilmember Fields spoke briefly from the dais) told speakers their comments had been heard and appreciated. The mayor’s office and staff have said the move was prompted by hazardous materials and structural concerns that would require mitigation for repairs; the mayor and staff made the administrative relocation while the city plans a public process to determine the building’s future.

The council scheduled a study session on April 22 to review the facility issues and next-step recommendations. Staff posted a city questionnaire and said more than 200 community responses had already been submitted; the city will host a listening session focused on teen programs on April 28 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Redmond Community Center at Miramar Village. The mayor’s office said concerts and many other programs will continue, with some events moved temporarily to the Redmond Senior and Community Center and outdoor locations.

Ending: Speakers urged the council to prioritize a teen-led, dedicated youth facility and to consider alternatives such as landmark designation, targeted fundraising and collaboratively designed replacement space. The council’s study-session discussion on April 22 will be the first public opportunity for the council to deliberate next steps and any formal actions concerning the Old Firehouse building and teen services.