Celebrating the diversity is Uwajimaya Village, a 60,000-sfmixed-use development at South Sixth Avenue and Dearborn Streetthat will open in six weeks. Anchored by the namesake Asian Foodand Gifts Market and 176 apartment units, retail tenants includeYuriko's Cosmetics, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Inay's Kitchen, HoneymoonTea, Washington Mutual Bank and a number of Asian eateries.

Not so typical of the neighborhood is 505 Union Station, thenearly complete 11-story glass office building being constructed byMicrosoft billionaire Paul Allen, whose new football stadium isbeing built a few parcels further west where the Kingdome oncestood. A Starbucks coffeehouse is opening this week in the officebuilding.

Frank Kiuchi, executive director of the Interim CommunityDevelopment Association, says the Asian immigrants and smallbusiness owners who have made the International District their homefor years are in danger of being forced out, threatening thecommunity that has been created.