Maybe Economic Development Director Tim Johnson was on to something when he said the filming industry could benefit Federal Way’s economy this past January.

According to the former California resident, a husband and wife are in the process of opening up “Hong Kong Market” on the northwest corner of South 356th Street and 21st Avenue South.

But the market isn’t an ordinary grocery store — it will be a television studio.

“They have a relationship with Food Network, so this is going to be one of their operations where they’ll be doing that kind of shooting,” Johnson said at the Federal Way City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Johnson stood before the council not only to share the interesting news of Hong Kong Market, but to update the community on several other key areas of economic development.

Lisa LaManna, the senior vice president of retail operations with Harsch Investment Properties, said Federal Way is about 5 percent vacant when it comes to retail spaces, a good percentage.

Harsch Investment Properties owns Celebration Center, SeaTac Village and Pavilions’, all shopping centers in Federal Way.

LaManna said one of the biggest retail trends across the country, and here in Federal Way, is “fast casual dining.” So much so, in fact, she says the investment company is about to sign a lease with fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A for the Celebration Center.

SeaTac Village will soon welcome a new tenant in June called Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, a retailer with 72 locations already. Cafe Rio will take the place of the Umpqua Sterling Bank merger location off of South 320th Street.

And LaManna said Harsch Investment Properties is negotiating to get the “little Arby’s building” that looks “pathetic and vacant” filled.

Jeff Strafford and Less Guillory with Seattle Pacific Realty are working to fill the former Alberton’s site at Campus Drive and 21st Avenue South.

Strafford said his firm represents national tenants such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Total Wine & More and Target, and he’s been working closely with Balboa Partners of California.

“These guys have tremendous contacts and investment in institutional and private equity,” he said, adding that he is marketing the building to get quality tenants. “We are very excited, it’s a great property and we believe in it and believe it will lease up very soon.”

Councilman Bob Celski said he was pleased that area is being focused on.

“I personally go to get my haircut at the Ivy’s right next door and I have a friend who owns the Allstate in that same strip mall just around the corner,” Celski said. “And I know they were all hurt, their businesses were hurt when that Albertson’s closed so I’m excited about the idea of bringing somebody in there to spur more business in the local area as well.”

Brynn Estelle Telkamp, a broker, sales and leasing agent with JSH Properties, is helping her client, the owner of Metropolitan Market, backfill the space the grocer occupied before it moved.

The 36,000 square feet the market left behind will be broken up into multiple spaces (ranging from 5,000 square feet to 10,000 to 18,000 square feet) to host a variety of different tenants.

“We need to think creatively about who to bring in to the space and how to demise the space,” Telkamp said, adding that they will add an extra entrance at the 10,000-square-foot space.

Telkamp said a reputable, family-oriented retail tenant has written a letter of intent for the space but didn’t disclose who it was.

She hopes to fill the center space with a fitness operator and the smaller space with a restaurant and is currently working on bringing Pot Belly Sandwiches and 85C Bakery Cafe, a popular Taiwanese cafe with 17 locations in California, to Federal Way.

“It is fantastic news to hear about what’s going on with the Metropolitan Market,” said Councilman Martin Moore. “I know some of us on the Council and myself have talked to business owners in the Metropolitan area, like Splish Splash Doggie Bath, and all of them are affected by Metropolitan Market, so I’m just really pleased to see that we’re doing stuff and we’re moving forward.”

Although Mark MacDonald, the new owner of City Center Plaza, couldn’t attend the council meeting, he said he would like to meet individually with each council member to discuss the dramatic change he hopes to bring to the center in a short period of time.

“I would like to link the center to the park and performing arts center with restaurants and epicurean delights in an effort to enhance visitor experience,” MacDonald said in a statement Johnson read to the council.

City Center Plaza was sold for $14.2 million in July and is home to three strip mall buildings, which includes Subway, Total Vape, Starbucks and Red Lobster.

Moore, Celski and Deputy Mayor Jeanne Burbidge thanked Johnson for the update and the work he’s done and expressed hope for the future of Federal Way.

“With our reinvention of the city’s center and Town Square, I’m hoping that brings more prospects for the businesses you guys all represent,” Celski said to LaManna, Strafford and Telkamp. “… We really are at an exciting time.”