New York, N.Y. - January 5, 2006 - Nissan of Lake Charles breaks ground Monday on a state-of-the-art dealership that Hibernia National Bank, the National Urban League and Stonehenge Financial Capital Company hope will promote economic development in a distressed neighborhood and showcase a loan program that is also breaking ground in Louisiana. Officials of the City of Lake Charles, Nissan of North America, the National Urban League, the Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of local dignitaries will participate in a ceremony Monday, Jan. 9, at 10 a.m. on the 7.8-acre site at 1700 Siebarth Road near Chennault International Airport. Eric Broussard, Hibernia Senior Vice President and Manager of commercial dealership services, will conduct the program. "This project has been in the works since before Hurricane Rita, and we are excited that we are now ready to begin construction," said John Stelly, President of Nissan of Lake Charles. "This is an investment in the community that involves a commitment from important local and national partners. It's all very positive for our business and for this neighborhood." Hibernia National Bank is handling the construction loan and long-term financing for the dealership. Hibernia is the banking segment of Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF), headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The Urban League and Stonehenge Capital Company helped make the project a reality by providing access to the New Market Tax Credit program through the Stonehenge Capital/National Urban League Empowerment Fund. The fund is designed to facilitate private investment in minority-owned businesses in low-income areas. Stonehenge Capital is based in Baton Rouge. This partnership is a prime example of the League's Urban Entrepreneur Partnership initiative to train and provide financing for minority businesses nationwide. Hibernia fills the role of private investor in the project that is being hailed as the first Louisiana initiative financed with the help of New Markets Tax Credits. "Hibernia National Bank is committed to Lake Charles, and we're proud to help make this new facility a reality, both for John and the neighborhood," said Broussard. Stelly acquired the Lake Charles Nissan franchise in December 2002, and he currently ranks as the top Nissan dealer in southwest Louisiana and no. 3 in the state, based on annual sales. The Urban League identifies Empowerment Fund projects in locations such as the new dealership's neighborhood that qualify as "areas of greater economic distress," based on factors such as income levels, unemployment, available jobs and other economic conditions. The dealership is also in a federally designated disaster zone created by Hurricane Rita.

"Our empowerment fund was designed to create partnerships like this one which are an effective way to grow small and medium-sized minority-owned businesses. This is one of the best ways to close the wealth gap in America and provide real economic empowerment to our communities," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Morial, who served two terms as mayor of New Orleans prior to heading up the Urban League, will also participate in the groundbreaking event. The new facility will be built adjacent to the existing Nissan of Lake Charles dealership. When construction is complete, the current dealership will serve as the pre-owned vehicle division. The new facility will reflect the cutting edge of auto retailing as part of Nissan of North America's dealership design program. For example, the customer waiting area will be designed along the lines of a cyber caf? with Internet access, flat screen televisions and other amenities. Hibernia National Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation. Hibernia, which had $23.2 billion in assets at Sept. 30, 2005, is headquartered in New Orleans and has more than 300 locations in Louisiana and Texas. Hibernia provides a broad range of financial products and services, including deposit products; consumer, commercial, small-business, international, mortgage and private banking; leasing; treasury management; trust and investment management; brokerage; investment banking; and insurance.

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