After years of rumors that the vacant lot on the corner of Wantagh Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike, in the Island Trees section of Levittown, had been sold, last week the Town of Hempstead approved the construction of a Target Shopping Center.

According to Town Councilwoman Linda Reed, on April 27 Target was issued all the permits they needed to begin construction. The following day construction vehicles arrived at the lot and began clearing the site.

This vacant lot has been a problem in Levittown, especially for the Island Trees School District for many years. The lot, which abuts the district's middle and high schools, has been a gathering place for many local teenagers and a place for vendors to illegally sell merchandise. It has been an eyesore in Levittown despite the fact that the school district cleaned up the site on different occasions. Island Trees Superintendent Richard Segerdahl, when the possibility of a Target leasing the 15.8 acre lot was raised several months ago stated "I do think that it will improve what is now a tremendous eyesore, which we have worked three different times with Island Trees students and residents cleaning up that lot, picking papers up and the debris, and we're just tired of doing that." Another problem that the district had with the land was the fact that as an empty lot it is the fourth largest taxpayer in Island Trees and as a developed property it could bring much more revenue into the district.

This particular Target will be a Target Greatland, which has nearly 12 percent more space than the average Target Store. According to information from the Target Company, "Target Greatland offers more of the up-to-date, quality, one of a kind merchandise that guests need. Target Greatland is the result of 25 years of retail experience and guest feedback."

The Target Greatland will be approximately 135,000 square feet. It will be the anchor store for a center with several other smaller stores.

According to Kristin Knach, a representative for Target, an exact opening date for the store has not yet been set but, she added, it will be sometime in the year 2000. She stated, "As we get closer and construction gets more under way we'll have a better idea of an exact date." Knach added that the site work has already begun and that the actual construction would probably begin within the next couple of months.

Target currently has a ground lease for the property, which is owned by David Minkin. Knach explained, "We lease it from him and we build our own building." The property is being developed by Starwood Ceruzzi.

Reed stated that Target has promised the town that they would be good neighbors and she added that so far they have proven this to be true by cleaning up the lot prior to the town's final approval.

"With Target coming into the Levittown vicinity that will open up jobs for many high school students who will be seeking jobs within the next year and we have two school districts, three high schools that feed into that- Division Avenue, MacArthur, and Island Trees students that will be eligible for employment but may not have transportation there and by Target being so accessible they'll be able to get there by public transportation," Reed stated. "Plus, for a retired resident who decides that they really want to go back to work a couple of days a week but don't want to travel so far, this may open up an opportunity for them also to work a couple of days a week close to home."

When told about the town's approval of the Target Shopping Center Segerdahl stated, "We certainly think that it will improve the appearance from the lot we had there and the problems that the lot caused us as a school district and hopefully it will generate additional income for the taxpayers of Island Trees."