That means other Market businesses will either move to the third-floor retail space or be pushed out of the Broadway Market altogether. A manager of a month-to-month leased kiosk, sees his future in the Market as shaky at best, and the silence of building management doesn't help. "I don't know what's going on," he said, sitting on a stool near his kiosk. "I may move upstairs or I may not." Madison Marquette could not be reached for comment.
Surprisingly, people seem to support Kroger's corporate plans--despite the fact that they may displace a handful of small businesses. QFC could stabilize the Market, Broadway's central shopping venue. In the past two years, the Market has been hurting, losing big stores like Gap, and smaller retailers. "Moving QFC into the Market means that we don't lose a major grocery store. It's probably a good thing," said Charlie Hamilton, president of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. And, a new QFC could be the first move in a Broadway development chess game; the existing QFC space across the street will now be redevelopable.