International Community Health Services (ICHS) has signed a purchase and sale agreement with Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) to acquire a 25,000 square-foot space in SCIDpda’s Beacon Pacific Village, formerly known as the “North Lot project” at the foot of the Pacific Medical Center in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Located at 1200 12th Avenue South, ICHS will construct a new senior care facility named “AiPACE” to expand its current PACE program and significantly increase its capacity to serve seniors in King County. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a nationally-recognized model of care that enables low-income, nursing-home eligible adults to live independently at home or in the community.

In 2015, ICHS launched the Aging in PACE Washington (AiPACE) capital campaign to build and operate a new site for its PACE program. “The AiPACE campaign has been at the forefront of ICHS’ efforts to address community needs,” said Kelli Nomura, ICHS CEO.

“The PACE model is deeply meaningful to me,” Nomura said. “The program provides all of the care, support, and critical activities that our elders in our community need, while allowing them to remain in their home and community. It will give families across our community peace of mind knowing every day that their loved one is supported by an integrated team that truly cares.”

The state-of-the-art senior center and clinic will provide vital wraparound services to seniors living throughout King County. A revolutionary aging-in-place model of care, PACE is designed to empower seniors to stay active, stay connected, and stay rooted in their own homes and communities.

Above the new AiPACE facility will be 160 units of affordable, family-sized housing (20% of which will be 3- or 4-bedroom units) developed and managed by SCIDpda. Jose Marti Child Development Center, operated by El Centro de la Raza, will also occupy a neighboring commercial space in the building.

"What happens on the ground floor of these projects is just as important as the affordable housing we build above," said Jamie Lee, Co-Executive Director of SCIDpda. "ICHS’ services will enhance the experiences of residents at the Beacon Pacific Village and provide much-needed care to the communities we serve in the area. We're excited to welcome AiPACE to Beacon Pacific Village."

"This is a gigantic step forward for us all to reach our goal of building a PACE site that serves our culturally and linguistically diverse communities,” said Paul Mar, AiPACE Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chair.

Language and cultural barriers pose further challenges for limited-English-speaking immigrant families to receive personalized medical care. For many, transportation to and from appointments pose further barriers to senior care services.

“That’s why providing integrated health care is so important,” Nomura said. More than doctor visits, participants will have individualized care plans which include skilled-nursing, door-to-door transportation, therapy, exercise classes, social interaction, healthy meals, and much more.

“I'm thrilled to take this big step in making AiPACE closer to becoming a reality,” said Leeching Tran, AiPACE Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chair. “Having a place where our elders can safely and easily gather and have their needs met while still living at home with their families is a benefit to all generations of our community.”

The next step for ICHS

Construction of the Beacon Pacific Village is planned to finish by the end of Summer 2024. Then ICHS would begin tenant improvement and open the AiPACE facility in late 2025.

“The dream of providing a safe, caring place for our AANHPI elders to have the support they want and need just got closer to becoming a reality,” said Martha Choe, AiPACE capital campaign committee co-chair. “I wish my parents had benefited from AiPACE, where their medical, dental, and behavioral health needs would have been provided for while living at home. When this is up and running, so many families will celebrate!”

ICHS is a non-profit federally qualified community health center that provides culturally- and linguistically-appropriate health and wellness services to people of all ages.

SCIDpda is a community development organization whose mission is to preserve, promote, and develop the Seattle Chinatown International District as a vibrant community and unique ethnic neighborhood.

ICHS and SCIDpda have partnered for decades. In 1998 SCIDpda developed the ID Village Square where ICHS' International District Medical & Dental Clinic is located. In March 2019, SCIDpda transitioned management of Legacy House to ICHS.

For more information about AiPACE, please contact Christine Consolacion, ICHS Foundation Manager at foundation@ichs.com, and visit www.aipace.org

For more information about the Beacon Pacific Village, please contact info@scidpda.org or visit https://scidpda.org/beacon-pacific-village/.