Issaquah officials outline phased Old Town municipal campus plan to address police, court and fire needs

Issaquah city staff presented a phased Old Town municipal campus plan on April 29 that would return Fire Station 71 to the City Hall South site, remodel the existing City Hall for exclusive police use and lease off‑site space for municipal court and city administration while the larger campus is phased over time.

The presentation, led by Autumn Monahan, administration services director, and Andrea Snyder, deputy city administrator and interim chief financial officer, framed the proposal as a response to long‑standing facilities needs for public safety and courthouse operations. Monahan said the approach is intended to allow the city to "phase this project" using existing city‑owned property and to avoid a single, large upfront project.

Staff provided rough order‑of‑magnitude cost estimates for the first phase focused on public safety: approximately $32 million for the new Fire Station 71 and about $15 million for police renovations, a combined estimate of roughly $47 million. For interim space, staff estimated leasing costs around $1 million per year plus roughly $4 million in tenant improvements, pending further scoping.

Deputy Administrator Snyder described a multi‑story concept for a modern fire station that could fit on the City Hall South parcel by stacking apparatus bays with dormitory space above and said architects believe a fit is feasible given site constraints and circulation needs. Chief Ben Lane (Eastside Fire and Rescue) told council staff analyzed about 4½ years of call data and pin‑mapped nearly 19,000 calls to compare current and proposed station locations; he said the modeling supports the site serving Issaquah based on current call volumes and projected growth.

Council members pressed staff for additional data: long‑range response‑time projections, whether Front Street circulation can safely handle larger apparatus, comparisons of station footprints, and architect input on renovation versus rebuild scenarios. Staff said the current Station 71 construction and condition make a straightforward renovation impractical and that a replacement is likely required, with the administration returning with architect details.

On court operations, staff reported ongoing discussions with King County District Court to lease courtroom, holding cell and support spaces that already meet many operational needs. Monahan said leasing a purpose‑built court would reduce tenant improvement costs compared with retrofitting City Hall.

Administration recommended the council direct further research on a phased Old Town municipal campus, approve use of current funds to lease temporary office and court space, and authorize staff to proceed with planning for a voter‑approved public safety facilities bond and a community engagement plan. The council did not take a formal vote; members expressed mixed views and requested additional data, field visits and follow‑up before making final financing and siting decisions.

The administration proposed a May 13 follow‑up Committee of the Whole focused on data (fire call mapping, court needs and peer comparisons) and scheduling field trips to inspect the existing station and comparable municipal facilities as next steps.