Cranbrook receives $15M from Bailey family to convert historic gym into a performing arts center

Essel and Menakka Bailey have awarded a $15 million philanthropic gift to Cranbrook Educational Community, an education, research, and public museum complex in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to support  the redevelopment of a 1932 gymnasium into the Bailey Center for the Performing Arts. The effort will help modernize CEC’s arts education programming while preserving the historic Saarinen-designed campus landmark. The gift includes a $5 million endowment for maintenance and programming and funds the 7,000-square-foot expansion, adding wings, lobby, and performance infrastructure to enhance student training in theatre, music, and technical production, with a completion expected in 2027.