Actor Tim Allen has pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations to help reopen Birmingham's Community House at 380 S. Bates St.
Allen, a Seaholm High School graduate known for "Home Improvement" and "The Santa Clause," will match every dollar donated to the City of Birmingham Community House Foundation before Dec. 31, according to C&G Newspapers. The foundation has raised $21,125 so far.
That leaves a gap. The foundation needs roughly $79,000 more in community donations by year's end to unlock Allen's full match.
Anthony Long, foundation board president and a former Birmingham city commissioner, said the $100,000 threshold is the immediate target. "I think that there's a lot of people that have a lot of connections to the building and that would like to see the institution continue, and that's why I'm involved," Long said.
The city purchased the nearly 39,000-square-foot building for $5.2 million on July 6 on behalf of the foundation, after the former Community House Association filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The sale included an endowment worth about $800,000 and two Marshall Fredericks sculptures, the Oakland County Times reported.
The building has served as a community gathering space since 1923. Birmingham is the foundation's sole member, meaning the property will always belong to the city and its residents.
Beyond donations, the foundation is working on two revenue streams to sustain operations. A lease with Birmingham Public Schools for the Early Childhood Center is being finalized. BPS was selected from four applicants, with a goal of reopening the center in fall 2026. The foundation is also exploring a catering banquet company to operate the building's banquet center.
Eva Kirkman, foundation board vice president, said the priority is raising money to bring back programs residents knew and loved at the former Community House.
Donors should note: checks must be made payable to the "City of Birmingham Community House Foundation." Checks written to "the Community House Foundation" will go to the former entity, not the new one. Long also urged residents who included the Community House in estate plans to update their wills and trusts to name the new foundation.
Checks can be dropped off at Birmingham City Hall.
What's ahead
- Dec. 31: Deadline to donate and have gifts matched dollar-for-dollar by Tim Allen, up to $100,000
- Fall 2026: Target reopening for the Early Childhood Center under Birmingham Public Schools
