Marcus Withers: The Visionary Behind Affordable Housing Projects in Louisville

Communities are more than just groups of people living in specific places. They’re almost living entities in their own right, with their unique heartbeat, culture, and values. People base their whole identities on the communities that brought them up, forever shaped by the sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.

For Marcus Withers, the community he grew up in was Louisville, Kentucky. The entrepreneur who found success in real estate and entertainment and is now moving into the automotive industry with a chain of car dealerships doesn’t hide the fact that it’s his experience in the city that shaped him into who he is.

“I grew up in the inner city and went to an inner-city high school, so I got the best of both worlds,” Withers explains. “I got the corporate side of me, but I also got the edge of being an inner-city kid. I have a street edge to me. I can still walk and talk and call myself the people’s champ. I can go and mingle and talk to people in the inner city.”

Withers credits his upbringing in the inner city for the grit, drive, and determination he exhibits as a businessman. As a man who understands the importance of giving back, Withers decided to invest some of that same grit and determination into building his community and giving it what it needs to thrive.

A great example would be his work on affordable housing. Having a place to live that’s nice but also affordable is the dream of many inner-city kids. Coming from a place of empathy and understanding the needs of the community he came from, Withers decided to create an 80-unit affordable housing project. “Growing up in the inner city I feel like affordable housing, that’s how I give back,” he says. “That’s how I create great living spaces for African Americans to have somewhere to live that is safe, supportive and provides guidance to help them achieve their potential.” 

Withers is dedicated to continuing his work on other affordable housing projects for people in his hometown. And while having a decent place to live is the very base for having a community, what gets people out of the house is equally as important. And Withers did some work on that, too.

“The nightclub called Joe’s Palm Room was a shell that I took, and I knew that grabbing this place would be iconic because I’m putting back together a national treasure,” he explains. “This place is well known for jazz music, jazz musicians from all around the United States came and played at this place. People traveled from far — from the West Coast, the East Coast, to come to Joe’s Palm Room.”

Music, a helpful catalyst for finding common ground, has always been a passion for Withers. In resurrecting the historic Joe’s Palm Room, he’s created a space where people from all walks of life can come together.

The beloved cultural landmark was given a new lease on life thanks to Withers’ efforts, as well as his connections in the entertainment industry. Not only did he put the actual building up to standard, but he also made sure that everyone knew the club was back in business with a series of music shows he set up during the pandemic. Withers brought acts, including Musiq Soulchild, Jacquees, Trina, Tink, Ginuwine, Playa, Carl Thomas, Vedo, Mike Epps, Michael Blackson, and Case, just to name a few. This gave his audience an intimate venue to view iconic acts without flocking to expensive, crowded arenas. 

Looking forward, Withers plans to continue doing what he does best – moving up and bringing others with him. “Every business has been a step up for me. So I’m starting with just rehabbing houses to building houses, music studio owner to nightclub owner, to a car dealership owner. It’s just stair steps, up and up and up. There’s no going down, it’s all upward movement. And there’s no ceiling,” he concludes.