The Dunbar Tower site is in the heart of the historic Black business district that served the predominantly Black neighborhood that formed due to discriminatory housing practices. A combination of gentrification and fair housing laws led to the loss of a rich cultural heritage as Black families moved out of the neighborhood. 

The development is in the heart of the downtown and includes a first-floor space of about 2,000 SF. Rather than maximizing profitability by renting it as commercial space, the goal is to develop a first-floor ground floor community space that is designed by the Black community to celebrate the achievements and history of Black residents.

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The AAHC & Avalon Housing, in consultation with Yodit Mesfin Johnson of YMJ & Associates, created a community advisory board called the Community Leadership Council (CLC) bringing together multi-generational Black current and former residents of the neighborhood, including local Black artists and entrepreneurs. YMJ designed the initial structure, purpose, and facilitation approach for the CLC. That process resulted in the drafting of “Coming Home,” a community vision for the first-floor space that honors the legacy of the historically Black neighborhood and business district Dunbar Tower is situated in, and affirms a future for Black people, artists, entrepreneurs, and residents in Ann Arbor.

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The CLC worked for over 3 years to create an organizational structure, engage the larger community, develop a vision statement and create a plan to implement that vision statement. Implementation included the design, budget, and programming of the community space. The CLC is funded by the AAHC and City of Ann Arbor to guide the design of the community space.

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The CLC has hired InToto Studio as the architect and interior designer for the community space that supports a variety of artists and creatives, from writers and poets to musicians and visual artists. The CLC is also working with InToto Studio to commission local artists to create art inside and outside the building. The CLC will be creating a space to celebrate local Black community member achievements and provide a forum to discuss and have rotating displays of historic events focused on Black history. The CLC named the building in honor of the Dunbar Community Center, which served as an important community space for the area's Black residents until the 1960s at 420 N Fourth Ave. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872—1906) was a renowned American poet whose most famous poem “Sympathy” ends with the line “I know why the caged bird sings”.

The CLC are ambassadors for the development and advocates for the Black community to ensure that Black voices are heard and Black achievements are seen and supported. The CLC is also supporting Black business owners by hiring Black professionals, trades, artists, and even food trucks for events. The project has been a success because of the deep commitment of the government to listen to community members, empower the CLC to make decisions, and financially support the CLC for their significant time commitment. The CLC members have been involved in the project from its conception and plan to stay involved with residents and other community members to create a welcoming  community space for generations.