The 800 pound gorilla just lost weight

So for the past several years we have heard the rumblings in and around the Mayor's office and Starbucks concerning the Sodo neighborhood and properties being sold to non-industrial users for redevelopment which would, according to the aforementioned entities, result in a devastating loss of neighborhood jobs. I suppose Starbucks considers itself heavy industry but that is another discussion. In any case I have to think that developments of late show once again that relying on one employer to drive all land use thinking is really a terrible business plan. Now that Starbucks is losing weight, who will pick up the slack in a neighborhood that has, through implied (and possibly actual) threat of dominance by the big gorilla, chased off any likely suitors?

I have to believe that it has always been and will always be healthier for a business community to foster and support many employers, both big and small, rather than relying on just one 800 pound gorilla to carry the load. I guess it was good while it lasted but now that the party is over how do we get home? Fortunately, close to the stadiums will remain vibrant due to the giant public works projects that now exist but what about all those smaller properties further south? Hopefully the loss of weight by the gorilla will cause people to quickly take notice of the perils of leaning on one employer and work hard to entice new, more diverse, employers to come back to the neighborhood.