Big news for Little Saigon. One of the neighborhood's prominent nonprofit groups has secured property for a major affordable housing project and the region's first-ever combined Vietnamese cultural + economic center.

The new project from the Friends of Little Saigon (FLS) organization will be located at 1001 S. Jackson St. near 10th Avenue. Construction won't get started until 2025, but we know some juicy details about what to expect.

Where the heart is

FLS hopes the five-story, 16,500-sqft facility known as the Little Saigon Landmark Project will help fulfill the org's 2030 Action Plan to improve the community through infrastructure, affordable housing, and other opportunities.

Part of the property will be residential, with 71 apartments designated for lower income individuals and families. The other part will include the cultural center situated on the ground floor. Activities there may include:

Art exhibitions
Language + cooking classes
Annual events like Tết and the Mid-Autumn Festival
Pop-up vendors
Business startups

FLS executive director Quyn Pham said the org also hopes to install a permanent history exhibition in the center about the local Vietnamese American community "honoring both past and present."

What comes next

The total cost for the project is projected at ~$55 million. FLS has already secured $11 million through city and federal programs, but will continue fundraising to help the project reach the finish line.

More detailed conceptual designs will come soon so that FLS can get community feedback about the nitty gritty details and planned programs.

If all goes well, those cranes should start revving up before you know it. After a year of construction, expect the facility to open in late 2026.

You can keep track of the group's progress through its newsletter and Instagram. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities, too.