Redmond group hopes to make historic gym arts center

The doors of Redmond’s Evergreen Elementary School closed seven years ago. Since then, the school’s historic gymnasium has sat empty. The Evergreen Cultural Arts committee is hoping to change that.

The city of Redmond purchased the property in 2010 and is working on turning the main school building into the new City Hall.

“That gym’s going to be sitting back there empty, and just kind of waiting for something to happen. It’s not a project that the city can just take on and do,” Evergreen Cultural Arts committee member, Jim Cook said Friday.

The $11 million price tag of the new City Hall means the city isn’t able to focus on the gym yet.

“It’s got so much history and people are so invested in it that I think it would be wonderful if the community could come together and give it a future,” Cook said.

The building’s history dates back to the early 1920s. Since then, it’s been through a lot. It had to be rebuilt when a student and serial arsonist burned the gym to the ground in 1944. It also went through several changes.

“It started out as the Union High School gymnasium,” Cook said. “When the new high school was built, it became a junior high — and when a junior high was built, it became an elementary school. And finally it was basically abandoned.”

The committee is hoping to give it new life as a cultural arts center. The gym already has a stage, and they would also like to see other features, including studios and galleries.

According to Cook, they are in the very early stages of the planning process and looking for anyone who wants to get involved.

The Evergreen Cultural Arts committee will be holding a public meeting at Wild Ride Brewing Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

More information can be found at www.evergreenculturalarts.com.