What is left of Poindexter Village is headed for a comeback. The two remaining brick buildings from one of the nation’s earliest public-housing projects are being converted into a new Black history museum on Columbus’s Near East Side. The Champion Avenue site is slated to hold exhibits, research space and community rooms that organizers say will keep neighborhood stories rooted on the block. It is pitched as both a memorial to what was lost and a fresh piece of cultural infrastructure for the city.
Groundbreaking and timeline
Project dates are already circled on the calendar. Planners have scheduled a May 6, 2026, groundbreaking and expect the museum to open in early 2028. Ohio History Connection spokesperson Neil Thompson told Axios the ceremony is locked in and that the site will join the organization’s network of historic sites.
Design and what you will see
Moody Nolan, billed as the nation’s largest Black-owned architecture firm, has been tapped to lead the design and figure out how the two buildings tie into the church and courtyard. A Knowlton School write-up on the project’s architects and goals describes the design as focused on stitching the complex back into its surroundings. According to the museum’s planning materials, visitors can expect a recreated 1940s apartment, interactive exhibits, a genealogy research area and flexible community spaces.
A rooted history on Champion Avenue
Poindexter Village opened in 1940 and was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was named for abolitionist and civic leader Rev. James Preston Poindexter. The complex grew into a cradle of Black life on the Near East Side and helped nurture artists and community leaders such as Aminah Robinson, as documented in local histories and by the Columbus Foundation.
Money and schedule
The conversion carries a $25.9 million price tag and pulls together private donations with city and state contributions, with fundraising still underway. As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, the campaign had reached roughly 41% of its goal in late 2025. A construction listing pegs the address as 290 N. Champion Ave and shows a schedule that targets substantial completion in late 2027, ahead of the planned 2028 opening.
What was lost, and what remains
Most of Poindexter Village’s 35 original buildings started coming down in 2013 under a demolition plan by the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, a move that galvanized preservation advocates. In 2014, community elders formed the James Preston Poindexter Foundation to protect the last two structures and push for a museum, according to local reporting and the project website. The Ohio History Connection later acquired the remaining buildings, effectively locking in the site for restoration and future interpretation.
Digital reconstructions and community programming
The museum will not rely on nostalgia alone. Organizers plan to pair restored rooms with immersive digital work, including 3D “Ghost Neighborhoods” models built by Ohio State’s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, per a university write-up. As Thompson told Axios, the project “helped shape the city,” a line leaders point to when arguing that the site’s impact stretches far beyond its footprint.
What to expect at the groundbreaking
The public groundbreaking is set for May 6, and organizers say they plan to use the ceremony to lay out next steps for programming, fundraising and community partnerships. Residents can watch the Ohio History Connection’s event listings for updates, volunteer opportunities and ways for former Poindexter Village families and neighbors to share their memories.
