The Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) and Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) are proud to announce the groundbreaking of Patsy Surh Place in Tacoma’s Lincoln District. The event will take place on Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. at 711 South 38th Street Tacoma, and honors longtime community leader Patsy Surh O’Connell who has so effectively promoted Asian and Pacific Islander heritage, culture, and arts throughout the region.
“I am profoundly proud and honored to have Senior Housing named after me,” said Surh O’Connell. “It is a testament to a shared commitment to the well-being and community support for our elderly. I look forward to the positive impact and sense of belonging that Patsy Surh Place will bring to older individuals in our community!”
The building will provide 77 apartments for low income seniors aged 55 and over with a focus on AAPI elders. The building will open in Spring 2025.
Patsy’s passion stems from a unique desire to honor her Korean heritage and to honor her parents’ legacy. She was born in Shanghai to Korean parents, and lived her early life in Korea before immigrating to the United States as a student in 1963. She is proud to be Korean and wants other Asia Pacific people to feel the same way about who they are. She also wants to help people to know more about the Asia Pacific community.
This led to her establishing the APCC in 1996 with a dream to create a central gathering place for people to connect through Asian Pacific art and culture. Patsy currently serves as APCC’s president.
“Asia Pacific people value elders because it is their culture to take good care of mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunty and older siblings. Low income senior housing is a huge need in Tacoma and Pierce County,” said Faaluaina Pritchard, APCC’s executive director.
“APCC and LIHI have formed a long term partnership to develop and own Patsy Surh Place. We are delighted to serve the housing needs in Tacoma’s International District,” said Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director.