SunTrust Bank Closes $32.3M Financing for Phase III of THEARC in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — SunTrust Banks Inc. has closed $32.3 million in financing to fund Phase III of the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), a cultural, educational and social services center located in southeast Washington, D.C. THEARC is run by Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR), a nonprofit established by W.C. Smith for the purpose of building and managing the facility, including THEARC Theater and THEARC Farm. In addition to BBAR, THEARC houses nine nonprofit partners and provides dance, art and music classes, medical and dental care, afterschool activities, performances, education and social services to underserved communities in D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8. Phase III of THEARC will add approximately 92,000 square feet to the existing 110,000-square-foot development. The new addition will be home to an expanded clinic run by Children’s National Medical Center, Appletree Institute for Education Innovation Inc. (classroom, training and administrative space), the Bishop Walker School for Boys and The Phillips Collection. The new building will also include a black box theater. The project will be completed in 2017. The deal was led by SunTrust Community Capital and included $32.3 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations. Three community development entities (CDEs) each contributed $10 million in NMTC allocations including City First Bank of DC, Low Income Investment Fund and Enterprise Community Investment Inc. SunTrust Community Development Enterprises LLC contributed $2.3 million, and SunTrust Community Capital served as the equity investor in all four NMTC allocations. Additionally, SunTrust Bank provided a $7.4 million loan as part of the overall NMTC transaction.