Plans to bring a new supermarket to the long-vacant former King Kullen space at the Mount Sinai Shopping Center are finally moving forward, following Brookhaven Town approval of a major redevelopment project, nearly two years after the landlord first acknowledged talks with Whole Foods Market.
In January 2024, LongIslandRestaurants.com reported that United Properties, the East Meadow-based owner of the shopping center, was in what a company representative described as “passive negotiations” with Whole Foods to occupy the 45,000-square-foot former King Kullen location. At the time, property manager George Mangakis said discussions with the Amazon-owned grocer were ongoing but “far from a done deal,” with other potential uses for the space also being explored.
Now, new details reported by Newsday show that the site is poised for a significant transformation, regardless of which grocery brand ultimately signs on.
According to Newsday, Brookhaven’s planning board approved a site plan last week for a $15 million redevelopment of the Mount Sinai Shopping Center, located at 5499 Nesconset Highway. The overhaul is expected to bring a new supermarket, multiple restaurants, and additional retail tenants to the 131,779-square-foot property, which sits on nearly 15 acres and has remained largely unchanged since it was built in the late 1980s.
During the public hearing, representatives for Regency described the redevelopment as a much-needed revitalization of what they said had become a “dilapidated shopping center.” Plans include new building facades, the construction of a freestanding 5,080-square-foot building for two quick-service restaurants, and a full renovation of the former King Kullen space for a new grocery store.
Construction on the Mount Sinai Shopping Center redevelopment is expected to take approximately 18 months once underway, signaling that a long-awaited grocery replacement for the former King Kullen may finally be on the horizon for the Route 25A corridor.
Photo: Google Maps.
