$50M cancer center could redevelop site of church, tiny-home village in Tacoma
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Developers filed a pre-application for a Tacoma Community Cancer Center.
- Site at 602 N. Orchard now is home to First Christian Church and a 40-home shelter village.
- Foundation and developers plan feasibility work; potential groundbreaking in 18 months.
A familiar church and a tiny-home village in Tacoma that’s served as an emergency housing shelter since the pandemic could make way for a proposed new cancer-treatment center.
A pre-application was filed Sept. 25 with the City of Tacoma for the proposed Tacoma Community Cancer Center, which could include several local partners, according to people involved in the project.
The pre-app says the center, with estimated construction cost of $50 million, would be at 602 N. Orchard St. — now the home to First Christian Church and the Village at 6th and Orchard, a tiny-home community operated by the Low Income Housing Institute.
A representative for Gig Harbor-based Rush Development submitted the initial pre-app.
Gordon Rush is CEO and founder of The Rush Companies. Rush told The News Tribune in a recent phone interview that he became involved in the project through the South Sound CARE Foundation and its founder, local oncologist Dr. Frank Senecal.
“He’s an incredible contributor to cancer health and patients in the Tacoma area,” Rush said.
Senecal retired from his practice earlier this year, and serves the South Sound CARE Foundation as chief medical officer.
Rush is an emeritus member of the foundation’s board. The nonprofit entity, established in 2008, has through the years sought to expand clinical trials and cancer research to boost care options for patients in the South Sound.
“I’ve been helping with the CARE Foundation for 12 years now, and Frank has asked for my help in getting this accomplished,” Rush told The News Tribune about the project.
The cancer center for now “is under feasibility, and it’s going to be quite lengthy,” Rush said, with possible groundbreaking in about 18 months.
The site is under contract but not yet purchased, he noted.
“The church was interested in selling their land, and it was a perfect fit,” Rush said.
The 100,000-square-foot building would come with 454 parking stalls on the property, according to preliminary plans.
Sally Glover is executive director of the South Sound CARE Foundation. In response to questions, she told The News Tribune via email that the foundation “is in the early planning stages of the project.”
Glover noted, “Building a world-class community cancer center has been a dream of Dr. Senecal’s for decades. Within the past 12 months he has worked hard to develop strong community partnerships and hold conversations with representatives from MultiCare, and Northwest Medical Specialties as well as the Puyallup Tribe and Madigan.”
She added, “While a construction timeline is not yet finalized, we are actively working with Gordon Rush and The Rush Companies to move it forward through feasibility.”
Tiny-home village would need to relocate
The 40-home Tacoma Emergency Micro Shelter (TEMS) 3 was established on the vacant church-owned property in December 2020.
The News Tribune reported in June of this year that the North Orchard Street shelter site has funding through June 2026 from the city, and also has received funding from the county.
For now, it’s unclear what will happen to the tiny-home village in terms of a future relocation from the property after that time.
“We don’t own the land, so anything that happens over the next year and a half would not be up to us,” Rush noted.
The Rev. Doug Collins, pastor at First Christian Church, told The News Tribune in response to questions, “We are pleased to have found purchasers whose mission aligns with ours as a congregation; to cultivate refuge, creativity and hope.”
He added, “We are hopeful for the legacy of community and mutual support that will continue to be made manifest on the corner of 6th and Orchard. Though this move means a change in our physical space as a church, we look forward to being more agile and ready live out our mission as a congregation, centered always on serving God’s people whenever and however we are so moved.”
Glover told The News Tribune via email that while she did not have “any information on the contract” the village has regarding the property, the foundation is “committed to working with LIHI and city officials to ensure any transitions are handled respectfully and thoughtfully.”
The Rev. Barbara Blaisdell, then-senior pastor at First Christian Church, told The News Tribune in 2020 at the time of the shelter’s launch that the church had spent thousands of dollars helping people without housing but that the growing need prompted the village concept. The village was the second one of its kind in the city at that time.
Sharon Lee is executive director of LIHI. In response to questions, she told The News Tribune via email, “We are asking the church to allow us to stay through 2026 even if there is a buyer” for the church-owned property.
“Of course we would like the village to be able to relocate to another site afterward,” Lee added, “especially since the village provides vital emergency shelter and services to homeless families with children who are most in need.”
Lee told The News Tribune on Wednesday that LIHI sought to reach an agreement with the cancer center project backers to be able to stay through the end of 2026, but would also need funding support to accomplish that from the city and county.
The News Tribune reported last month that over nearly four years, the city has paid roughly $2.5 million to maintain the tiny home village for the homeless.
Pierce County will also have spent more than $1.3 million to the village from July 2023 to June 2026.
According to figures from LIHI, 218 of the 428 clients of the village since its opening had obtained permanent housing as of Sept. 3 of this year.
Tacoma City Council member John Hines, who lives near the site and is running for mayor against former council member Anders Ibsen, told The News Tribune in September the site was a “good proof of concept” that this model of transitional housing works.
Maria Lee, media representative for the city, told The News Tribune in response to questions this week that the shelter village “is slated to continue operations through June 2026.”
She added, “If no additional funding is identified and secured for ongoing operations before May 1, 2026, the city will begin the decommissioning process, which will involve working with its partners to transition shelter property and operations.”
Kingfisher Village, a 60-unit tiny home project, opened in July 2025 near South Hosmer Street and also is operated by LIHI.
Previous reporting from The News Tribune contributed to this report.
Story has been updated with additional comment from LIHI.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
