The City of Birmingham plans to buy The Community House for $5.2 million and is hosting a special meeting tonight, May 19, regarding the purchase.
City officials announced in a Facebook post that during the meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m., the city commission would “have a discussion about the potential purchase of 380 S. Bates and execute the Purchase Agreement between the City of Birmingham and Community House.”
The commission could also direct the city manager to take steps that would keep the Community House open and staffed during the ownership transition, with uninterrupted operations of current services, including a childcare facility in the building.
According to the city’s website, the city’s proposal to purchase the Community House building and the land it sits on at 380 Bates St. was accepted by The Community House Association on May 17. The purchase is subject to approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court.
The nonprofit Community House Association announced last fall that it wanted to sell the house and then, in March, mired in controversy with the city, filed for bankruptcy protection.
City officials say the purchase of the Community House has a dual purpose. It is intended to settle a lawsuit between the city and the nonprofit and the property will be bought on behalf of a newly created City of Birmingham Community House Foundation “ensuring the building will always belong to the City and its residents for the sole purpose of preserving The Community House as a community center for all residents, honoring the founders’ intent, and protecting public access to civic, social and philanthropic programming.”
Once the sale is complete, the foundation plans to manage The Community House and continue childcare, banquet services and additional programming at the facility “to support lasting community benefits for all Birmingham residents” and assuring “deed restrictions are followed and will continue in perpetuity.”
The special meeting at 5 p.m. on May 19 will be held on the second floor of City Hall at 151 Martin St. Those who can’t attend in person can participate virtually via Zoom or view it on cable or a streaming service. For more information, visit bhamgov.org/commissionagendas or bhamgov.org/watch.
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: City of Birmingham plans to buy The Community House for $5.2 million
Reporting by Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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