After closed session commissioners say Community House sale raises deed questions; vow to keep property in community use

After meeting in closed session on Nov. 17 under attorney‑client privilege, the Birmingham City Commission returned to public session and said it reviewed deeds and other documents related to the Community House’s announcement that it intends to sell its building.

The chair told the commission and the public that staff and legal counsel examined the original and subsequent deeds and that those documents “seem to suggest” the Community House property may be held as a public trust with restrictions on sale or conversion to private use. The commission stated its position that the Community House is a community asset “whose value cannot and must not be measured in dollars” and said it will pursue each available legal and administrative measure to keep the building in community use.

The chair’s public statement followed a closed discussion with counsel; commissioners did not disclose legal strategy in public session but signaled the commission will act to preserve the building’s public‑use purpose if possible.

No vote or directive to staff was recorded in open session beyond the chair’s public statement; the matter may return to the commission for further action.