In 2017, AEMI closed on a $7,000,000 NMTC transaction to allocate funds for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta to go towards the construction of the new 25,000-square foot John H. Harland Boys and Girls Club: The Innovation and Expression Studio (TIES). Located in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta, the space will provide a creative youth development approach driven by arts, innovation, and expression.

The John H. Harland Boys and Girls Club has been serving local kids and teens for more than 50 years, but the development of TIES creates an expansive space that will serve more than 200 kids and teens daily. Recognizing that art-based activities help foster academic achievement, the programs at TIES will be centered on visual arts, performing arts, and culinary arts.

In 2018, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Inc. began construction on the first-ever arts and innovation-focused Club in the nation. As a major investment for kids in Atlanta’s West End, the new Club has been an opportunity for economically disadvantaged kids to learn critical skills, find and nurture their passion, and showcase and perform their work. The New Markets Tax Credit, supported tearing down a 50 year-old building that had fallen into disrepair and constructing a bigger and better facility in it’s place.