More senior housing is coming to Tacoma. Where will the new affordable apartments be?

A senior housing project in Tacoma is now fully funded.

The Asia Pacific Cultural Center received an award earlier this month for the 78-unit Lincoln District Senior Housing project, according to a Low Income Housing Institute news release.

The Washington State Department of Commerce will provide $4.9 million for construction. The City of Tacoma previously awarded $5.25 million, and Pierce County awarded $7 million. The Washington Housing Finance Commission will provide an allocation of housing tax credits.

The housing project, at 711 S. 38th St., will have affordable studio and one-bedroom apartments for seniors aged 55 and older.

The Tacoma nonprofit APCC is partnering with the Low Income Housing Institute for the Lincoln District Senior Housing project. Seattle-based LIHI develops, owns and operates housing for low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in the Puget Sound region.

“APCC is absolutely amazed and thrilled with the wonderful awards of funding and tax credits for our joint project with LIHI,” APCC executive director Lua Pritchard said in a news release. “We are so proud of this project and look forward to seeing it get built.”

Construction will start in the summer and take about 14 months.

Sharon Lee, LIHI executive director said in the release that the affordable housing developers are proud to partner with the center “to meet the unmet housing needs of API (Asian and Pacific Islanders) and other seniors of color in the region.”

Half of the units will be income restricted to 30 percent of the area median income and the remaining half of the units will be income restricted to 50% of AMI. Rent prices will be $533-$888 for a studio and $571-951 for a one bedroom.

The project will include street-level retail. The existing building at the site will be demolished, according to Pritchard.

Weber Thompson is the architect for the project, Walsh Construction is the contractor, and Karen Kiest Landscape Architects is the landscape architect.

The completed senior housing project will be 56,344 square feet and six stories.

The project will have a second phase with 72 units for families with children and singles, which will be on the west side of the site. The senior housing and family housing will share a courtyard.

LIHI will apply for funding for phase 2 in 2023 and plan to begin construction in June 2024 to be completed in August 2025.