Groundbreaking welcomes Patsy Surh Place
History was made on Dec. 20 when ground was officially broken for an ambitious new housing development coming to the Eastside. On that day, community members and dignitaries gathered in the Lincoln District to celebrate the coming of Patsy Surh Place, 77 units of affordable housing for seniors 55 and older being built in partnership between the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) and the Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI).
Set to open in 2025, the structure will be six stories tall with 47 studios and 31 one-bedroom units to house formerly homeless seniors and seniors on disability making 30-50 percent of Area Median Income. Twenty apartments will be set aside for veterans.
Residents will enjoy a community space, a multipurpose room and gallery space, social service office, a beautifully landscaped outdoor courtyard, and one apartment will be set aside for a live-in manager. Commercial space will be available for small businesses along South 38th Street. Patsy Surh Place will also feature culturally appropriate amenities for its Asia Pacific Islander elders although housing is not limited to only this community.
APCC will have 51 percent ownership and LIHI will have 49 percent. The building is named after APCC founder Patsy Surh O’Connell, one of the most influential and accomplished women in the South Sound.
At the groundbreaking, APCC Executive Director Lua Pritchard told of how the project started as a dream and when she took her leadership position at APCC in 2010, the wheels began moving to bring it to fruition.
"You have to reach for the moon first so that when you land somewhere, you’re still going to land at a very good place,” she said. "Today is happening because we had that dream.”
She praised the commitment of LIHI Founding Executive Director Sharon Lee to see the project through.
"Ever since she was little, Sharon believed in advocacy and helping people who otherwise would not be helped and who are often forgotten and who are low-income and poor,” Prichard said. "That has always been Sharon’s life as a leader. She believes in this project, and we are so happy to be with her and be a partner.”
Lee told the crowd she personally knows the struggles of housing insecurity.
"When I was a teenager, I was thrown out of my house and I had no place to go so this is something that is very, very meaningful to me,” Lee said. "We want to thank the city, the county and all the funders who are making this possible so that we can do brand new, energy efficient, very affordable senior housing.”
To introduce the long line of speakers at the groundbreaking, Prichard described them as "the people who truly are making a difference in our lives. Otherwise, we would not have them here and that’s the very truth.”
Mayor Victoria Woodards offered her congratulations to everyone involved in the project, making sure it was known that Tacoma City Council member Catherine Ushka, whose district includes the Patsy Surh Place site, was there in spirit.
"She has been a steadfast leader for this district. I thought I had a passion for the Eastside and the Lincoln District, but she has worked so hard to improve the lives of people who live in this district and I am grateful for her,” Woodards said.
Congressman Derek Kilmer expressed his love for everything about the project.
"All across this country, we need millions and millions more housing units and we need more units that people can actually afford,” he said. "That’s why this is a big deal. It’s providing housing units to people who need it. The fact that this will serve seniors that have faced homeless is a big deal.”
When she was elected in 2020, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland made history as the first Korean American woman ever to be elected to Congress and the first African American to represent Washington State at the federal level.
"In Asian culture, we know that we honor our elders – we take care of them and do everything we can to make sure they have a quality of life that we would want for ourselves. We are here to improve the quality of life for the people who call this place home,” she said.
State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau said, "For many of our elders, the reality of aging in America is a real source of anxiety and I can say that because I have those conversations with my own mother and she doesn’t know what to expect. They need our support and that includes the opportunity to see them and to nurture them in ways that value where they come from and who they are. They deserve to age in grace.”
‘SHE NEVER QUIT’
Every speaker that day spoke eloquently and from the heart about Patsy Surh O’Connell. Kind and humble, Patsy is a force in and of herself and our city and the entire county are better because of it.
Prichard told the audience that even before she left the Korean Women’s Association to join Patsy at APCC, she had been watching and learning from her.
"The thing about this woman that I noticed is that she never quit. Even though she was by herself most of the time – people came and went, board members came and went – she never quit, and that I like and respect. APCC is now 27 years old and she’s 80 years old and she still hasn’t quit,” Prichard said.
"When you have a dream, persist in everything even if you’re doing it all by yourself and that’s what this lady has done and has shown me all these years. I am so happy and proud always to stand next to her and do whatever I can to help her live her dream forever.”
More speakers echoed Prichard’s words:
Woodards: "This woman has worked so hard in this community for so long and she is not always a household name because Patsy is not always out there promoting Patsy. She is always promoting her community and serving her community and I can’t think of a better way to honor her.”
Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier: "The one characteristic of Patsy as a community leader that stands out to me is she is incredibly gracious. I have seen her persist and be unrelenting, but always with a spirit of grace. I hope we all can be inspired to be more gracious in Patsy’s name.”
Strickland: "I want to congratulate honor and thank Patsy Surh O’Connell who I call the godmother of the APCC movement in Tacoma and Pierce County. I don’t say that lightly.”
O’Connell is an exceptional community leader with an unwavering commitment in promoting Asian and Pacific Islander heritage, culture, and arts throughout the region. Her passion stems from a unique desire to honor her Korean heritage and to honor her parents’ legacy.
She was born in Shanghai, China, to Korean parents, and lived her early life in Korea before immigrating to America as a student in 1963. She founded the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in 1996 with a dream to create a central gathering place for people to connect through Asian Pacific art and culture. O’Connell now serves as APCC’s President and under her strong leadership, the organization has grown and expanded to serve hundreds of thousands of people each year throughout the state of Washington.
In addition to her work with APCC, O’Connell is a gifted artist. She was instrumental in forming the Washington Korean Artists Association, and in 2018 she was awarded the Governor's Heritage Award for her decades of work and dedication. She served on the Washington State Arts Commission and on the board of the Western States Arts Federation. All know her as having a heart of gold. Her sincerity and kindness shine through in all the work that she has done for the community.
"I am truly humbled by the opportunity to have this building named after me,” O’Connell told the crowd. "It is with great pride and gratitude that I accept this honor. I firmly believe that this building will serve as a much-needed home for seniors, providing them with safety, comfort, and a sense of belonging.”
Patsy said our seniors have dedicated their lives to building our communities and shaping our future, and that it is our duty to ensure that they are cared for and cherished in their golden years.
"This building stands as a testament to our commitment to their well-being. I want to express my deepest appreciation to all those involved in making this project a reality. Together, we are creating a space where seniors can thrive surrounded by a supportive, nurturing environment. Let us continue to work together to make a positive impact on the lives of our seniors and build a brighter future together. Thank you so very much.”
Source: Tacoma Weekly