The Community House Association has accepted a pending offer from the city of Birmingham to buy its building downtown and preserve it as a community center.
In a Wednesday statement, the city confirmed the association on May 17 accepted its $5.2 million offer to purchase The Community House at 380 Bates St. The money will come from the city’s unassigned general fund, according to Mayor Clinton Baller.
The purchase is now under review of the United States Bankruptcy Court.
To own and operate the building, city officials plan to establish a City of Birmingham Community House Foundation.
“The foundation is being created with the city as the sole member, 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,” the city said.
The building, which dates back to 1930, has been used by the Community House Association for purposes such as child care and community programs. The association announced in November 2025 it planned to sell its building as it transitions to the Birmingham Area Community Foundation.
The city’s purchase announcement comes about two months after The Community House Association filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Community House Board Chair Jacob Taylor said filing for bankruptcy was “a necessary step” after a lawsuit from the city stopped the sale of the building to the United Jewish Federation of Detroit.
In its lawsuit, Birmingham argued that deed restrictions required the building to be held exclusively as a community center “for use by the residents.” The Community House Association executed a trust in 1930 to be held for the building and its operations that prohibited a sale or transfer to a private interest if the association were to be dissolved, the lawsuit states.
Alison Gaudreau, president of The Community House Association, said in a statement Wednesday that the building’s sale will allow the association to move forward as the Birmingham Area Community Foundation with revenue from the sale.
“Keeping with TCHA’s decades-long history of supporting area nonprofits, the Birmingham Area Community Foundation will strengthen and uplift surrounding communities through grantmaking and mentorship to area nonprofits who support education, wellness and cultural vitality, as well as provide scholarships for local students pursuing education beyond high school,” said Gaudreau.
mbryan@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Historic Community House accepts offer from Birmingham to buy its building
Reporting by Max Bryan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
