Project Background

Two back-to-back community-driven campaigns in January and February 2020, guided by the Stakeholder Group, invited all members of the community to share their vision for the Redmond Senior Center building. Community priorities and values identified in the 2017 Community Priorities for the Future of Redmond’s Community Centers Report were revisited in which the community acknowledged the need for more community centers, fitness, and community event spaces. During the community engagement process, the community was asked to evaluate options from renovating the Senior Center, to expanding it and including some new amenities.

After the first meeting and online questionnaire in January 2020, the project team compiled comments and data from the public meeting, stakeholder meetings, and the online questionnaire to develop concepts to share with the community at another meeting. The second meeting and online questionnaire took place in February 2020. Following the second meeting and questionnaire, the project team compiled the comments and data to finalize a recommendation for City Council in partnership with the Community Centers Stakeholder Group.

Based on community input and subsequent discussions, the final recommendation from the Senior Center Stakeholder Group was to construct a 40,000 square foot Community Center with designated program space for seniors on the site of the old Redmond Senior Center. This new facility will be referred to as the Redmond Senior and Community Center. See the March 2020 Stakeholder Group Summary Report for more information.

• May 9, 2020 - City Council passed a resolution to authorize the application process for the General Contractor and Construction Manager. This method allows for an alternate bid approach and allows the City to hire both the designer and contractor to work together in the build process. The State of Washington Capital Projects Advisory Review Board approved the General Contractor and Construction Manager application for the City to proceed with this method on May 9, 2020.
• June 2020 - The proposed 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Program outlines the City’s priorities for the next six years. The Redmond Senior and Community Center is a top priority with $20 million designated for this project in the Capital Improvement Program and an additional $25 million in tax revenue for a total project budget of $45 million. This proposal is subject to City Council approval.
• June 23, 2020 - At the City Council Study Session, City Council voted to authorize the Mayor to decommission and demolish the Redmond Senior Center building. City staff will move forward with a Request For Quotation process to seek bids to move forward with this work. This decision will save $180,000 in one year and significant staff time. In addition, decommissioning the building in the dry season will be more efficient than waiting until next winter.
• July 28, 2020 - The City Council Study Session held a discussion reviewing the recommendations in the final report. This discussion included presentations from Recreation Stakeholders.
• August 11, 2020 - Parks and Recreation Director Carrie Hite attended the Planning and Public Works Council Committee meeting to continue the conversation about the Envisioning the Future of the Senior and Community Center project. The final recommendation from the Redmond Recreation Stakeholder Group and community was brought forward.
• September 15, 2020 - The Council was requested to make a policy decision. A motion was put forward to authorize the City to construct a 42,000 square foot building with optional expansion capabilities on the site of the previous Senior Center, with costs not to exceed $46.7 million and using capital improvement and councilmanic bonds as the funding mechanism. After much deliberation on this topic, this motion was not voted on, and City Council approved a motion (4-3) to postpone the decision until October 22.
• October 22, 2020 - The Redmond City Council unanimously authorized the Mayor to repurpose $15 million allocated for the Redmond Senior and Community Center in the 2019-2020 budget. The budget will now fund additional community involvement and the design of a new facility to be located on the site of the existing Redmond Senior Center. A policy decision on the size and cost of the building was not provided.

• Facilities Strategic Master Plan (PDF)
• Recreation Buildings Master Plan - 2014 (PDF)
• Supplemental Report (Combined) - 2014 (PDF)
• Cultural Facilities Feasibility Study - 2015 (PDF)
• Community Priorities - April 2017 (PDF)
• Facilities Strategic Plan - Appendices (PDF)
• Redmond Recreation Building Design Study - 2011 (PDF)
• Regional Aquatics MOU (PDF)
• Regional Aquatics Report (PDF)
• Redmond Community Centers Report 3-19-2020 (PDF)