My favorite market ever has lost it’s lease. I’m so incredibly bummed about this. Apparently the owners of the land where Metropolitan Market has stood for 40 years have signed over the space to QFC and a big ole’ development, slated to be in place by the end of 2008. Metro Market’s lease ends December 31, 2006. One year and a few days from now.
Is that the SUCK or what?
The little filling station across the way is also in line to get demolished (albeit quite a bit earlier) – to make way for a 4 story apartment complex. Parking is about to get a WHOLE lot worse in Queen Anne. It’s not as bad as Capitol Hill – but its clear it’s going to be heading that way.
All this was really decided years ago – before we even moved here – when the city zoned a section of the top of Queen Anne as “Urban Village”. That cranked up the allowable heights and density, so you know it’s going to happen – it’s just a matter of when. In 2002, the owners of the land where Metropolitan Market sites tried to redo that space – and the backed down after neighborhood pressure “and market factors”. Lord knows what outcry will happen for the neighborhoods favorite store now.
I really, really hope they find a location to move to nearby. I hate to admit it, but I’ll probably shop at the QFC if it’s a reasonable grocery. Or maybe I’ll just continue to shop at Safeway. I’ll go out of my way to shop at Metropolitan Market if it is anywhere nearby. There’s stuff you just can’t find anywhere but Metropolitan Market – lord knows where we’ll go if it’s just “gone”. Maybe start driving over to Whole Foods…
suck.
Rhonabwy 