City Won't Give Land to APCC Project
It’s back to the drawing board for the Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s plans for a gigantic mixed-use development in the Brewery District.
A year ago we were looking at some inspiring drafts of plans for an extensive mixed-use project for the APCC.
Those plans asked the City to give the APCC a large chunk of City-owned property just up the hill from the Brewery District, with an ambitious groundbreaking date of 2013. The City ruled out gifting the land to the organization, but left the door open for talks on purchasing the property.
The City and the APCC took a year to study the project, conduct feasibility studies, financial planning, and other due diligence. We hadn’t heard much in a while, but last week the City gave the APCC a firm “no” on the idea of gifting the land to the project. The site has millions of dollars in encumbrances on it, and if/when the City sells it, it will go at market rate. Assessed in 2009 at $3.9 million, the debt on the land now tops $12.3 million.
That doesn’t necessarily kill the project, but it does mean the APCC and its supporters will have to raise a significant amount of money, beyond the already substantial project cost, to purchase the original site. Otherwise it will have to consider another location. According to The News Tribune, Lua Pritchard of the APCC says she’s confident that it will happen in the next seven years.
We still like the idea of an APCC mixed-use development…
Filed under: Downtown Tacoma, Neighborhoods, Developments, Tacoma Nonprofits, Brewery District, APCC
5 comments
U Uh.... December 21, 2012
Yeah it worked real well on 38th st. in the Lincoln neighborhood. We gave and continue to give the Asian community plenty of opportunities to create an International district there. It is disgusting and shady. The Asian markets there have a horrible record of cleanliness and contributions to the community. Do not give this land for free. This is a horrible idea and Tacoma needs to remember that we are Americans, not Asian. While I do think its great to accept other communities, this is ridiculous. It sounds like a desperate move, can’t Tacoma use their imagination any better.
U Uh.... December 22, 2012
Has anyone ever attempted to set up a place by the water for houseboats, in Tacoma?
J JJ December 23, 2012
Mixed Use Center = Rental Dwellings = Crime Ridden (Free) Housing =Ghettos
M Mofo from the Hood December 24, 2012
Free land attracts immigrants.
D Davy Allen December 29, 2012
Would it be completely ridiculous to suggest they donate it to Metro Parks?