As all Manhasset residents must have noticed, there is major activity on the King Kullen/Kimco site on Northern Boulevard near Shelter Rock Road. According to Jim Cullen of King Kullen, the progress at the site of the new King Kullen supermarket will become more visible during the next few weeks. The steel arrived two weeks ago and the imposing crane last week. Mr. Cullen said it will take approximately three weeks for the steel structure to be erected and then the masonry, block and brick contractors can begin their phase of the work. Mr. Cullen said that there has been tremendous draining on the site and the contractor has to bring the site up to grade. This requires literally tens of thousands of yards of fill. Sidewalk superintendents who have been watching the excavation can appreciate the magnitude of the job. The target date for the opening of the long-awaited supermarket is early 2004.

The building that formerly housed Today's Man will be the new home of Manhasset Diagnostic Center, according to Patrick Callan Jr., spokesman for Kimco Realty. Mr. Callan said in a telephone interview that the site would function well for the center. "It's a massive undertaking to relocate them," he added, due to the size and weight of the equipment. Mr. Callan also said that the Center would be able to make use of the underground parking garage located under the building. As far as the rest of the area is concerned, Mr. Callan said that Kimco is negotiating with a number of tenants and will not make a final determination as to the construction until those negotiations are completed. He said that there is still work to be done in renovating the property once occupied by The Wiz. "We will negotiate a lease and then build," he said, adding that it will be a long-term phased in project.