Former mayor and community members urge preservation measures as Old Firehouse teen center faces demolition

Multiple public commenters raised concerns about the planned demolition of the Old Firehouse (OFH) teen center and urged greater community engagement and preservation measures.

Wolf Adriatico, speaking for teen users, said the city failed to engage teens after the center’s closure and described the community as frustrated and unheard. "We want to better our community. We want to give back to it," Adriatico said, urging the council to include teen voices in the rebuild.

Former Mayor Rosemary Ives urged three specific actions: direct the mayor to contract a forensic consultant to be on site during demolition, create a prominent interpretive display acknowledging the building’s history, and hire an oral‑history expert to interview former staff and provide records to the Redmond Historical Society. Ives criticized staff reports and described rapid escalation in projected costs for related projects.

Online commenter Max Roman and other public speakers echoed preservation concerns and asked the city to preserve artifacts found during demolition and to review program fees for teen services; Roman flagged program costs (e.g., $70–$100 sessions) that may block youth access and asked for clarity on how demolition cost increases were calculated.

Councilmembers acknowledged the public comments and said they would forward questions to staff and to the parks department for follow‑up. The council did not take immediate action on the requests during the meeting; the public comment period concluded with the consent agenda vote and the city proceeded to appointments and staff reports.