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Residents and teens press council over Old Firehouse closure, criticize stakeholder process
Summary
Dozens of speakers — many teens and former staff — told the Redmond City Council during public comment that the process to determine the future of the Old Firehouse teen center has been rushed, lacked transparency, and under‑represented teens. Multiple commenters urged preserving teen space and criticized city outreach and facilitation.
Hundreds of residents and youth advocates used the public‑comment period at the Oct. 21 Redmond City Council meeting to press the mayor and council to preserve and reopen the Old Firehouse teen center and to criticize the city’s stakeholder and subcommittee process.
Speakers described a drawn‑out sequence of events after the center was closed and said the subsequent stakeholder and subcommittee process did not meaningfully incorporate teen voices. "The stakeholder group ... was formed about a month and a half ago, and I am very tired," one teen speaker said, describing limited representation of teens in the stakeholder group and that the process felt rushed.
Why it matters: The Old Firehouse (often abbreviated OFH by commenters) has been cited by multiple residents as a unique youth space for music, volunteer…
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