SCHENECTADY — Richard Genest is hopeful whomever purchases the building that currently houses the iconic Arthur's food market will allow him to continue operating the neighborhood institution in the heart of the Stockade.

"I'm like the insecured tenant and depending on who buys it, I might be asked to stay," he said Tuesday from his other business, the Moon & River café, located down the street from Arthur's. "I would love to find a friendly landlord who will keep me there."

The Colonial-era food market on North Ferry Street is named for the late Arthur Polachek, a popular figure, who once ran the store. Since Polachek's death several years ago, the historic building has changed hands multiple times and is now on the market again.

The 3,672 square foot building, which has two apartments above Arthur's, is listed at $179,000, according to information online.

A description in the real estate listing indicates that the market is the oldest neighborhood store in the country where George Washington among others spent time.

The building is owned by Matt Powell, a local businessman, and his wife. The couple could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

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Genest, who has run Arthur's since 2013, said he's survived several landlords over the years, and won't have any regrets if he is forced to pack it in.

"When I signed up, it was for 3 years," he said. "I'm 5 years in, so I'm in overtime."

The 70-year-old Stockade resident, who walks to work, acknowledged that it has not always been easy, noting that besides running the Moon & River, he has another job that helps subsidize the food market.

Genest said Arthur's, which has a café in it, is a hard place to keep cool "with all the sun that pours in" on sweltering hot days.

As a result, the business remained closed Tuesday because of the "heat wave" according to a hand-written sign posted on the front door that also directed customers to the "air conditioned" Moon & River.

A man in the area Tuesday who identified himself as a lifelong Stockade resident recalled decades ago when Sal's meat market was located inside Arthur's Market and the establishment was thriving.

He complained that nowadays Arthur's lacks basic food items that you would expect in a neighborhood grocery store so he instead goes to the nearby Stewart's shop.

Genest said the small grocery store carries fresh fruits, bread, onions and potatoes. He also runs a cafe with an outdoor sitting area and live entertainment.

Carol DeLaMarter, president of the Stockade Association, said that she hears similar complaints from people in the neighborhood.

"You can be nostalgic... but realize that it's very hard for someone to run a grocery store business where you could have fresh meat in that particular location," she said. "There are definitely people that are expressing interest in seeing some kind of community meeting(space), art and food, coffee place..."

She said part of the challenge will be to strike the right balance between "what the neighborhood, and then beyond that community, will venture in for."

The lack of parking is also another problem.

DeLaMarter recalled meeting a month ago with a woman who was interested in acquiring the structure and transforming into an art space and other uses that did not include a food market.

Genest said he knows of a member of a church who was eyeing the building in hopes of converting it into a café and cultural center.

"A lot of thinking has gone into it, but no once has come up with the cash," added Genest.

DeLaMarter said the husband and wife who currently own the building had it for less than a year before they put it on the market.