The African Cultural Alliance of North America Inc. (ACANA) is a non-profit organization that serves Southwest Philadelphia, home to many of the region’s African and Caribbean immigrant populations. ACANA’s mission is to help refugees, immigrant families, and all other residents of Philadelphia access legal, health and other social services with a special focus on women, children, youth, and the elderly in their resettlement process in Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1999, ACANA has a proven track record of providing social services and cultural programming. The organization is undergoing tremendous growth, and Reinvestment Fund will be supporting the full renovation and retrofitting of an existing building and constructing a ground-up 4-story addition to comprise the Africa Center, an approximately 37,000 square-foot, multi-tenant facility.
The Africa Center is programmed for an African restaurant, a childcare center, a healthcare center, a community/business office space, ACANA’s new headquarters and community center, and other retail space. Located at 55th Street and Chester Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia, it will serve the members of the African diaspora, new immigrants and other long-term community residents of southwest Philadelphia and its surrounding communities.
In 2024, Reinvestment Fund provided $7,400,000 in bridge financing for the African Center, allowing the project to start construction. The project represents a model of collaboration among its funders. Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and Community First Fund (CFF) provided New Markets Tax Credits to the project, and Capital One was the project’s investors. United Bank of Philadelphia also provided financing. The project received grant support from all levels of government (city, state and federal).
“We are thrilled to partner with African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA) and provide bridge lending to this community-supported, Black-led project that will support an important area of Southwest Philadelphia. ACANA is building a new social services center in an important commercial corridor. Reinvestment Fund is proud to support ACANA’s mission to help refugees, immigrants, and other community members access critical healthcare and social services,” said Kareem E. Thomas, Chief Credit Officer at Reinvestment Fund.
As construction progresses, the Africa Center embodies the hopes and aspirations of Philadelphia Africatown, promising to be a vital landmark in the city’s multicultural landscape. The Africa Center is poised to become a dynamic hub for cultural exchange and economic activity, attracting visitors and investors globally.