It includes galleries, classrooms, a 500-seat theater, a gift shop, a cafe, and many multi-purpose spaces for visual and performing art.

In the plan, there was a statement that urged the Mayor of Pittsburgh to provide financial backing for an African American Museum.

Later in 1996, then-Mayor Tom Murphy charged two City Council Members, Sala Udin and Valerie McDonald with bringing stakeholders together to discuss the museum's future.

[1] The August Wilson Center was designed under the direction of Allison G. Williams, FAIA and members of her team from her San Francisco office of Perkins and Will.

[7] After numerous court cases, the center was sold at a sheriff's sale on November 3, 2014, to the mortgage holder, Dollar Bank for $1,912.50.

Pittsburgh Major Bill Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and the URA fought the bid.