Merchants Capital Secures $26M+ for Rehabilitation and Conversion of NYC-based Historic Housing Development to Senior Housing

CARMEL, Ind. (May 27, 2026)—Leading financial services provider Merchants Capital provided more than $99 million in debt and tax credit equity financing for The Elex, a 296-unit mixed-use, mixed-income workforce housing community now leasing in Fort Wayne, Ind. Developed by Biggs Group in partnership with Ancora, Weigand Construction and MSquared, The Elex is part of the Electric Works site, a redeveloped General Electric industrial campus that celebrated its grand opening last month. Merchants Capital secured a $34.4 million Freddie Mac Non-LIHTC Forward permanent loan and provided $9.5 million in federal low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity for The Elex. Merchants Bank provided $55.5 million in construction and equity bridge financing. "Merchants is proud to deliver financing specific to The Elex’ complexity and serve this community-enhancing initiative,” said Jeff Spahn, Senior Vice President of Originations at Merchants Capital. “We congratulate Biggs Group, Ancora and the City of Fort Wayne on this milestone achievement and look forward to seeing the city flourish as the third phase completes." The Elex offers one, two and three-bedroom units, with 207 units rented at market rate and 89 affordable units set aside for residents earning between 30% - 80% area median income (AMI). Affordability is supported via LIHTC equity syndicated by Merchants Capital, state tax credits and tax increment financing (TIF) bonds. "The Electric Works site has been a fixture of the Fort Wayne community for more than 100 years—it is rewarding to see it transformed in a way that fulfills the immediate housing need and affordability gap of today," said Josh Reed, Executive Vice President of LIHTC Acquisitions at Merchants Capital. Named in tribute to The Elex Club, a pioneering women’s organization formed by General Electric’s female employees, The Elex represents phase II of The Electric Works redevelopment, a complex comprising 18 historical buildings, office space, education and innovation space, retail, residential, hotel and entertainment venues developed across the three phases. As a residential property, The Elex provides housing for employees working in the West Campus, developed as phase I of the complex, which offers commercial space, a medical clinic, a STEM school and food hall, all anchored by corporate headquarters. The addition of an industrial West Campus and an East Campus with residential, office, health, education and hotel facilities in both adaptive reuse and new construction will take place in phase III. “The Elex represents the next chapter in the transformation of Electric Works and reflects what can happen when public and private partners work together with a long-term vision,” said Kevan Biggs, President and owner of Biggs Group. “We are proud to help bring much-needed workforce and affordable housing to Fort Wayne while honoring the history and character of this iconic campus.” As specialists in all facets of multifamily housing, Biggs Group provides real estate investment, subdivision development, community development, apartment development and multifamily management services throughout Indiana, Lower Michigan and Northwest Ohio. The Elex includes two multifamily housing buildings with ground-level commercial space. It offers residents direct access to a parking garage and the Electric Works campus. Common amenities for residents include a community room, bistro lounge and coffee bar, with a common courtyard, sports courts, playground, outdoor entertainment area and private park. A fitness and wellness center, early childhood learning center and commercial space will be completed in future phases of the project. To learn more about Merchants Capital and its services, visit www.MerchantsCapital.com or find Merchants Capital on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

April Moreland WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2026)—Leading financial services provider Merchants Capital today announced the addition of April Moreland as SVP, GSE Chief Underwriter, based in the company’s Washington, D.C. office. The hire supports the expansion of Merchants’ Government Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) platform with an elevated focus on operational consistency, transparency in underwriting decisions and efficient transaction execution. “April has established a legacy of driving growth, client engagement and risk management in commercial real estate and community banking,” said Naureen Dhanani, Executive Vice President of Credit and Operations at Merchants Capital. “Her leadership and proficiency at balancing credit discipline with diverse stakeholders’ needs will enable Merchants’ GSE platform to support more complex and scalable opportunities, adding greater value for our clients.” Moreland brings more than 15 years of leadership in GSE and affordable housing underwriting to her role, with expertise in low‑income housing tax credit (LIHTC), workforce housing, targeted affordable housing and complex agency executions. Previously, Moreland served as Director of Specialty Products at Citibank Community Capital, where she led agency strategy and execution, as well as balance sheet conversion initiatives, within its national affordable housing platform. She played a key role in strengthening credit quality, enhancing risk management frameworks and deepening agency relationships. Prior to that, she worked at Freddie Mac where, over six years, she progressed from Underwriting Professional within the Multifamily Specialty Products platform to Senior Director of Specialty Products. In that role, she directed the agency’s national Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) underwriting platform and a staff of 40 specialists. Moreland holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Real Estate from Georgetown University. As one of the largest affordable lenders, Merchants Capital leverages Merchants Bank’s balance sheet and agency relationships to provide integrated, streamlined financing solutions for developers and owners. The company has achieved top GSE rankings, including: Freddie Mac: #3 Optigo® Targeted Affordable Housing Lender in 2025   Fannie Mae: #5 Producers for Multifamily Affordable Housing in 2025   To learn more about Merchants Capital and its services, visit www.MerchantsCapital.com or find Merchants Capital on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

CARMEL, Ind. (March 23, 2026)—Leading financial services provider Merchants Capital today announced more than $7 billion in financing provided in 2025, with assets under management reaching $30 billion. Marking its 35th anniversary, the company continued to leverage Merchants Bank’s robust balance sheet, LIHTC syndication platform and long-established agency lending relationships to deliver impactful financing solutions for its clients nationwide. "Merchants offers a comprehensive mix of solutions that support market rate, workforce and affordable lending,” said Andy Weil, Executive Vice President of Originations at Merchants Capital. “By pairing these solutions, with the flexibility to lend from Merchants Bank’s balance sheet, Merchants can deliver an expanding range of creative structures with greater speed and efficiency.” "With a renewed focus on our West Coast operations, Merchants continues to expand its national footprint, and the strength of our agency relationships is creating meaningful opportunities with new and existing sponsors,” said Justin Ginsberg, Executive Vice President of Originations at Merchants Capital. “We are carrying the energy and momentum of 2025 into the year ahead.” Merchants Capital also closed more than $700 million in equity investments across multi-investor, proprietary and state credit offerings—further strengthening the firm’s year-long performance and delivering innovative solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Merchants Capital achieved top government sponsored entity (GSE) lender rankings in 2025, including: Freddie Mac: #3 Optigo® Targeted Affordable Housing Lender in 2025  Fannie Mae: #5 Producers for Multifamily Affordable Housing in 2025  HUD: Top 10 HUD Lender in 2025  Other notable rankings include:   Freddie Mac: Top Lender of Forward Rate-Locks for 2024  AHF: #4 Affordable Housing Lender of 2024   MHN: #6 Top Multifamily Finance Firms of 2026  CPE:  #10 Top Commercial Real Estate Finance Firms of 2026  MBA: #2 Multifamily Affordable Total Originations for 2024  Commercial Observer: #33 on the Power Finance 2025 List; among the 50 most influential players in commercial real estate "Merchants Capital’s performance underscores the power of a collaborative and mission-driven culture,” said Mat Wambua, Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President of Agency Lending at Merchants Capital. “We are proud of the longstanding partnerships Merchants has built with developer partners and the shared commitment to improving the quality of life within the communities we serve.” To learn more about Merchants Capital and its services, visit www.merchantscapital.com or find Merchants Capital on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.