08:11 AM PDT on Thursday, May 6, 2004

By TERESA BELL and NICOLE DOLL, KGW Staff

Though controversy has been brewing among some community members worried about traffic and area businesses concerned about competition, a new Starbucks opened as planned in southeast Portland early Thursday.

The coffee shop was recently vandalized and Starbucks is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest of anyone involved.

The worst damage was to a window at the Starbucks on SE 21st Avenue and Division Street. (KGW Photo)

Three windows were damaged, and it will cost about $500 to repair. When firefighters arrived, they found no fire but there was evidence that there had been a blaze and some vandalism to the building.

No one was inside the store when vandals attacked it at about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

“Starbucks places a high priority on partner (employee) and customer safety. We take appropriate security measures in an effort to keep our partners and customers safe,” said Gwen Haugen, a spokesperson for Starbucks. “Starbucks is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in this incident.”

The new Starbucks, at 21st Avenue and Division Street, was scheduled to open Thursday morning and things went as planned.

This particular Starbucks has been the target of controversy since its groundbreaking. Some area community members have protested, expressing concerns that the coffee chain would bring too much traffic to the area and chase out smaller, privately owned businesses.

Some community members said they wanted a local business to move in, not a corporate giant.

Officials said this isn’t the first time vandals have hit the shop.

“They’ve had a couple of other broken windows and signage and protesters walking on the streets, it’s sad,” contractor John Gain said.

Police said they collected evidence at the scene that will help in the investigation. They are calling the attack 'suspicious,' but had not ruled it an arson at last report. A security camera from the building is being viewed by a Starbucks security official for evidence.