New life for Asian Pacific Cultural Center

For years, the Asian Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) has been a dream: a plan for a building devoted to Asian culture in the Twin Cities, a single place where community organizations, advocacy groups, publications, and performing arts companies like Mu Performing Arts would come together under one roof. For a city with a growing Asian American population and little to unify the diverse cultures that comprise it, the APCC would provide a vital home for sharing, collaborating, and promoting Asian culture in Minnesota.

Now, thanks to Mayor Chris Coleman's announcement this week to revitalize downtown St. Paul, that dream is taking a big step closer to reality. After what seems to have been a history of two steps forward, one step back for the APCC, the new plan to reinitiate old development projects could possibly remove the last major hurdle toward the creation of the center. An initial outline of the plan includes renovation of the historic Hamm's Brewery for the purpose of housing the Asian Pacific Cultural Center.

There is no word yet on the timeframe for completing the project, but there is no doubt that everyone in the Asian American community should be excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Photo by jcbehm, via flickr. www.reviler.org