It’s official: The City of Birmingham has bought the Community House.
The $5.2 million purchase of the building and property at 380 S. Bates St. was finalized on Monday, July 6, and includes an endowment worth approximately $800,000 and two Marshall Fredericks sculptures, city officials said in a news release Tuesday.
The purchase was made on behalf of the newly established City of Birmingham Community House Foundation, a charitable organization of which the city is the sole member, “ensuring the building will always belong to the city and its residents.”
“This extraordinary purchase marks the end of one era, and the beginning of another,” Birmingham Mayor and CHF Board Member Clinton Baller said. “For more than 100 years, residents of Birmingham considered the house their home, and this purchase assures that it will remain so.”
The nonprofit Community House Association announced last fall that it wanted to sell the house, and in the ensuing controversy with the city, which included a lawsuit, filed for bankruptcy protection in March.
The city’s purchase of the Community House settles the lawsuit and ensures the 11-member CHF Board will manage the property in accordance with its mission, Baller said, retaining a daycare, continuing to host events such as weddings and meetings, and rebuilding programming “that endeared and bound our community.”
That rebuild has begun with the help of Birmingham native and actor Tim Allen, perhaps best known for his role as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the ABC sitcom “Home Improvement,” and as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the “Toy Story” movie franchise.
Allen, who supports the city’s efforts to revitalize the Community House, has offered to match up to $100,000 in donations before the end of 2026, Baller said, adding, “We need the community’s help and participation. That means time in the form of committee work, and money in the form of donations. We are rolling up our sleeves, and we hope the community recognizes the extraordinary commitment the city’s purchase signifies. Please join in supporting the new Birmingham Community House.”
Beginning Friday, July 10, 2026, donations will be accepted by mail to City of Birmingham Community House Foundation, 151 Martin St., Birmingham, MI 48009 Attn: Mark Clemence. Checks can be made payable to the City of Birmingham Community House Foundation.
The CHF has been formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and is seeking its tax-exempt status. The CHF board, appointed June 22 by the Birmingham City Commission, consists of two City of Birmingham commissioners, two ex-officio non-voting members and seven at-large members.
Besides Baller, the members include Birmingham Mayor Pro-Tem Therese Longe; former Detroit Institute of Arts Chief Financial Officer Robert Bowen; Birmingham Public Schools Superintendent Embekka Roberson; CCS Fundraising Assistant Vice-President Eva Kirkman; Attorney and former city commissioner Anthony Long; developer and Birmingham Shopping District Board Member Sam Surnow; Entrepreneur and Chaldean Community Foundation Executive Vice Chairman Kevin Denha; Photojournalist and author Linda Solomon; and ex-officio members, City Manager Jana Ecker and City Attorney Mary Kucharek.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Birmingham buys the Community House, gets help from famous actor
Reporting by Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com | USA TODAY Network
