THEARC

In 1997, WC Smith Chairman Chris Smith co-founded Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR), a nonprofit that would manage a state-of-the-art community center in Washington’s Ward 8. This center became Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus (THEARC). Opened in 2005, THEARC serves more than 60,000 people annually with an array of programs and services, including dance classes, music, fine arts, academics, continuing education, mentoring, tutoring, recreation, medical and dental care, and other services at a substantially reduced cost or no cost at all.

Situated on 16 acres along Oxon Run and Mississippi Ave. SE, the 236,000 square foot campus houses 14 nonprofit organizations, including DC Central Kitchen, Children’s National Hospital, The Phillips Collection, the Washington Ballet, Levine Music, Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound and five schools.  The facilities feature a 365-seat community theater, black box theater, urban farm, regulation-size gymnasium, libraries, classrooms, studios for dance, music and visual arts studios, an art gallery, public playgrounds, and more.

THEARC East was completed in 2005. THEARC West, which is LEED Gold certified, was completed in 2018. THEARC Phase IV, the new home for the Washington School for Girls, delivered in September 2025 and was designed to be LEED Silver certified. THEARC East has a photovoltaic array on the roof; THEARC West and Phase IV feature a combination green roof/photovoltaic array on their roofs.