We’ve heard a lot from our customers and community members about their concern around the potential harm Sound Transit’s West Seattle Ballard Link Extensions could bring to both Uwajimaya and the Chinatown-International District (CID) neighborhood.  While we support a strong and accessible transit network and appreciate Sound Transit’s efforts to date, we have deep concerns that the true depth and breadth of impacts that will come from building a second transit station in the CID have not yet been fully analyzed.  Having served the Puget Sound area for close to 100 years and with a presence in the CID for over 75, Uwajimaya is committed to sustaining a successful and thriving Seattle Chinatown-International District.  We do not feel that Sound Transit has fully accounted for the negative impacts a new station will have on our historically marginalized community, and it has not sufficiently addressed how these detrimental effects will be analyzed or mitigated.  As such, Uwajimaya’s ask to Sound Transit is that they extend the current timeline for identifying a preferred alternative for the CID Station and use this additional time to conduct a more thorough, inclusive analysis of impacts.  In the unfortunate event Sound Transit proceeds with its current timeline, we implore Sound Transit to select the CID-1a/4^th Avenue Shallow option as the preferred alternative.  Read more in the response letter we sent to Sound Transit: