Former Redmond mayor, residents urge pause on Firehouse Teen Center demolition and request artifact preservation

During public comment at the March 17 Redmond City Council meeting, a speaker who identified themself as a former Redmond mayor and founder of the old Firehouse Teen Center urged the council to pause plans to demolish the building and to engage the public in preservation and documentation.

The speaker said the public had not been shown renderings for the proposed $13,000,000 replacement, nor had the city explained funding sources the public should expect to see included in budgetary decisions. They described the building’s history — previous city hall, council chambers and fire station turned teen center — and said King County historic‑preservation staff had indicated the firehouse may be eligible for historic or cultural designation. "The building should be treated with care, not hastily bulldozed," the speaker said, and asked that the historical society be permitted a walk‑through to identify artifacts before demolition.

Council and staff described follow‑up: city staff previously declined a walk‑through request citing safety concerns; council members acknowledged community concerns and said staff would follow up. Council president Stewart and other members recognized the emotional impact on young people who used the center and asked staff to coordinate next steps on documentation and artifact handling.

No formal action was taken during the meeting on the firehouse; the public comments were recorded and staff (including Parks) were asked to follow up with requests and next steps.