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Former mayor and residents urge Redmond to publish plan and pause demolition of Old Firehouse teen center
Summary
Speakers at the May 5 meeting, including former mayor Rosemarie Ives and youth advocates, demanded a written plan, public timeline, and teen-centered engagement before demolition proceeds on the Old Firehouse teen center; some asked the council to reconsider the demolition contract.
At the May 5 Redmond City Council meeting, multiple residents and youth advocates criticized the city's handling of the Old Firehouse teen center (OFH) project and called for a transparent, youth-centered design process before demolition proceeds.
Wolf Adriatico told the council: "After all the hurt you have caused the community, I want so badly to stop trying to collaborate regarding the old Firehouse Teen Center," and reminded council members of prior council commitments to center teen voices in the design process by playing a short clip from a November meeting.
Former Mayor Rosemarie Ives, who founded the original Old Firehouse program, implored the council to provide "a comprehensive detailed plan going forward and projected timeline for completion," and urged that demolition not move forward until that plan and timeline are publicly agreed by the council. Ives asked that the council reconsider the demolition contract with a caveat pausing demolition until a plan and timeline are available for public review.
A remote commenter and other public speakers echoed the request for clearer contractor selection standards, an explicit engagement plan prioritizing teen input, and a public demolition date. Council members acknowledged receipt of public feedback; council staff and committee updates (reported later in the meeting) referenced recent committee discussion about design-build delivery methods and the desire to give more clarity on timeline and community engagement.
What the meeting records show: Multiple public commenters asked for written commitments and a date-certain study session focused on the OFH design and timeline. The transcript records calls to pause demolition until youth engagement and a written plan are shared; the administration did not announce a new timeline at the May 5 meeting.
Next steps: Speakers requested a written plan, timeline, and an explicit engagement schedule. Council members and staff signaled follow-up and further committee/study-session discussion would take place.
