Brooklyn Is Now Home To Santander Bank's First Lending Center

New location takes a community-focused approach to mortgages, personal and business loans; Bank donates $17,000 to local non-profits to celebrate opening

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Santander Bank, N.A.

Dec 14, 2017, 10:11 ET

BOSTON, Dec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander Bank today announced that it has opened its first-ever Lending Center in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighborhood at 1549 Ralph Avenue. Santander executives were joined by local leaders and members of the community this morning for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the center and present checks totaling $17,000 to Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn CDC (NHS Brooklyn) and Brooklyn Generation School – two non-profit organizations supporting the diverse needs of this Brooklyn neighborhood.

"Our Lending Center differs from a typical bank branch in that its only focus is helping people and businesses secure the right home, personal and business loan for their individual needs," said Steve Adamo, Santander's US Head of Home Loans. "Entering into a new mortgage is a big financial decision. By focusing specifically on lending products at this location, our knowledgeable loan officers can provide personalized guidance to each individual and provide one-on-one support from start to finish, ensuring a great customer experience." He added, "Increasing our presence in Brooklyn gives us more opportunities to support the community and we look forward to working with our non-profit partners to host neighborhood events at this new location."

Santander has committed to serving low- to moderate-income communities and communities of color as part of its "Inclusive Communities" plan, which outlines the Bank's five-year, $11 billion commitment to lending and community development across its northeastern U.S. footprint. Santander has more than 20 retail branches in Brooklyn, including two that opened earlier this year at 893 Flatbush Avenue and 190 East 98th Street. Santander's Lending Center will complement these branches and help increase lending, investment and financial education opportunities for neighborhood residents and business owners. As a service to the community, Bank team members will be offering regular home buyer education and financial literacy workshops to people who want to buy a home, learn how to budget their money and save for the future.

Santander's $15,000 grant to NHS Brooklyn supports the organization's first-time home buyer program that helps clients navigate the process of buying a home and the responsibilities of homeownership. As part of its partnership with Santander, NHS Brooklyn will host homeownership workshops for clients at the lending center, with the first class starting tonight.

Community high school Brooklyn Generation School, provides services and opportunities for students like job shadow programs and interactions with professionals to prepare them for college and the workforce. The school will use the $2,000 grant from Santander to launch its fundraising campaign that helps underprivileged students pay for college application fees and campus visits.

In addition to serving the lending needs of the residents and business owners of Brooklyn, Santander's new Lending Center also includes a dynamic community meeting space with a flat screen TV and sliding glass doors that open into the lobby, which Santander uses to facilitate workshops and community events, and will also make available to local non-profit organizations for presentations and events. The center also features a modern design with a welcoming, open layout, and several additional meeting spaces where customers can meet privately with our loan officers to discuss their lending needs. There is also a casual gathering area for quick conversations and a full-service, 24-hour ATM.

"Community-driven banking is vital to the wellbeing of our borough's residents. I commend Santander Bank for opening a lending center in Canarsie, an underserved neighborhood that has long struggled with access to upward economic mobility. This facility can open many doors for Brooklynites, allowing them to obtain home, personal, and business loans that will help build their financial futures and a stronger Brooklyn where everyone can thrive," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.

The Lending Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment after hours and on weekends to assist existing customers as well as those who would like to learn more about Santander's lending products. Santander plans to open another Lending Center in 2018.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks with more than $79 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank's 9,700 employees, more than 650 branches, 2,100 ATMs and 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) - one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is managed by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander's intermediate holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.