Black commercial corridors are still banking on culture

February 22, 2026

The East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) is working to revive West Oakland's historic 7th Street Corridor by carefully restoring Esther's Orbit Room, a former jazz and blues club, as a cultural anchor for the neighborhood. The cooperative has raised $18. 2 million through a combination of grants, low-interest loans, and investments from nearly 400 community members who accept modest returns in exchange for preserving neighborhood character and preventing displacement.

Who is affected

West Oakland residents, particularly the approximately 30% who are Black
Nearly 400 investor-owners of the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
Black residents and business owners in historically Black commercial corridors across the country, including Chicago's Austin neighborhood, Birmingham's Woodlawn neighborhood, Columbus's Near East Side, and Pittsburgh's Hill District
Local artists, entrepreneurs, and cultural organizations seeking space along these commercial corridors
Former residents displaced by past urban renewal and ongoing gentrification
Third-generation West Oaklanders like Noni Session whose families operated businesses along 7th Street
Malcolm Crawford and the Austin African American Business Networking Association
Alycia Levels-Moore and entrepreneurs in her Polaris accelerator program
Marimba Milliones and the Hill Community Development Corporation
Christina Kenney and other EB PREC staff members

What action is being taken

EB PREC members are carefully disassembling and storing approximately 300 stone pieces from Esther's Orbit Room's facade for later reincorporation
EB PREC is redeveloping Esther's Orbit Room at an anticipated total cost of $9.1 million
The cooperative is developing a 7th Street museum in the Barn building and planning a food forest and light manufacturing space on a corner lot
Hill Community Development Corporation is completing renovation of the New Granada Theater in Pittsburgh with a ribbon cutting anticipated for March
The Mandela Station development is preparing for its groundbreaking
Malcolm Crawford continues acquiring, renovating, and selling commercial properties to local business owners along Chicago Avenue
Alycia Levels-Moore is supporting local food businesses through her accelerator program to fill vacant storefronts in Woodlawn
Jazz on 55th is operating as a jazz bar and restaurant in Birmingham's Woodlawn neighborhood

Why it matters

This work matters because it demonstrates an alternative model for neighborhood development that prioritizes community control, cultural preservation, and long-term stability over short-term investor profits and speculation. Historically Black commercial corridors have faced cycles of disinvestment, urban renewal displacement, redlining, and property demolition that have eroded both physical infrastructure and community wealth for decades. The approach being tested by EB PREC and similar organizations challenges the conventional wisdom that economic revival requires sacrificing cultural authenticity and displacing existing residents. These efforts are significant because they show that cultural authenticity itself can be an economic driver, potentially attracting both local patronage and broader tourism when communities maintain decision-making control over development details. The success or failure of these projects will influence whether institutional funders become more willing to support community-controlled development in Black neighborhoods and whether other communities can replicate this model to prevent displacement while fostering economic growth.

What's next

EB PREC anticipates completing the $9.1 million redevelopment of Esther's Orbit Room (specific timeline not stated)
Hill Community Development Corporation anticipates a ribbon cutting for the New Granada Theater in March
The Mandela Station development is set for groundbreaking later this month (relative to the article's publication)
EB PREC plans to develop the Barn building into a 7th Street museum and convert a corner lot into a food forest and light manufacturing space (specific timelines not stated)

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com