Old Woodinville Schoolhouse: Its Future is in the Hands of the Marketplace

After a short discussion the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow the marketplace to decide what will occupy the.

In a 6-0 vote (councilmember Susan Boundy-Sanders did not attend) the council directed City Manager Rick Leahy to invite proposals for the development of new uses for the building with the preferred intent of keeping the building in its 1930s configuration. However, the city will entertain proposals that gut the interior in favor of a more flexible floor plan.

The future of the Old Woodinville Schoolhouse has been in debate since the city relocated city hall from the historic building in 2001. A  presented to the city council in early February revealed renovations to the vacant brick building could run as high as if 110 parking spaces are added. The city does not have the money to make the needed repairs and is hoping for a public/private partnership with a developer willing to shoulder the renovations costs.

A brick school was first built on the site in 1909. It has been through many expansions, including a 1936 renovation by the Works Progress Administration. Another wing was added in 1948, leaving the city with the building that stands today, which has a basement and two stories, totaling 18,435 square feet. All that remains from the 1909 building is a wall located on the western side of the building.  Over time the building has served as a public school and was the first city hall from 1993 to 2001.