Renton High School expansion advances despite concerns over street vacation

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 14, 2026

The Renton City Council approved a street vacation crucial to the current design of the new Renton High School.

At the May 4 meeting, the council approved the petition to vacate South Tillicum Street and Alley, and South Tobin Street in a split decision for the reconstruction of Renton High School. The school district will take the sections of the streets between Shattuck Avenue South and Logan Avenue South and use the area for the softball and baseball fields, according to the approved plan.

The petition for street vacation was signed by 73% of the owners of the frontage for Tillicum Street/Alley and 95% for South Tobin Street, according to Stephanie Rary, Renton Property Services Specialist. Renton School District acquired 42 parcels or property for the expansion, 15 of which were acquired using eminent domain.

The Renton School District will be reconstructing Renton High School and expanding the existing campus, including renovating the existing 1931 high school building and IKEA Performing Arts Center, and constructing a new 310,000 square foot classroom building and three small accessory buildings.

Councilmember Carmen Rivera had concerns about the traffic issues involved in closing the street until Second Street, the street south of the school, is converted into a two-way street.

Public Works Director Martin Pastucha said it will be a minimum of three to five years before the Second Street conversion.

Pastucha said there were about 45 accidents over the last two years that occurred on Airport Drive and Rainier Avenue between Rainier and Logan. Of those, 16 occurred between Shattuck and the Logan intersection and about 29 occurred between Shattuck and Rainier.

“I couldn’t go from the data and be able to determine how many lane closures occurred at that particular time because it didn’t show that,” Pastucha said. “All I could report was the number of accidents was not substantial based on the volume of traffic we saw.”

Rivera proposed an amendment that this vacation be timed to align with the two-way conversion of Second Street. Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn seconded the motion.

“Once we give up our city rights and the streets, it’s kind of one and done, right?” Văn said. “Given the traffic situation, our struggle with the airport and the potential for the increase in flights, this is why I think it’s important and wise, prudent for us to take pause and really consider the amendment.”

The amendment was then voted down by the council. In a vote to approve the street vacation, the vote was tied 3-3, with Councilmember Ryan McIrvin recusing himself due to his wife being on the Renton School Board. Councilmember Valerie O’Halloran joined Rivera and Văn in voting against the vacation. Mayor Armondo Pavone was then the tie-breaker to approve the vacation.