Long Leaf Mall’s new Harris Teeter is slated to open in the fall, replacing its current grocery store there with a building that’s 10,000 square feet larger.

In addition to the new grocery store, other shops are under construction at the center, located at the intersection of Shipyard Boulevard and South College Road. A new Medac Health Services is being built there and landscaping and parking lot improvements are under way, said Arlene Schreiber, director of leasing for Zimmer Development Corp., the shopping center’s owner. The upgrades will “enhance the center,” she added. “It’s a really centrally located shopping center in Wilmington so we feel real positive about what’s happening.”

Next to the Harris Teeter, there are eight stores under construction with frontage on South College Road, expected to be finished soon, she added. Future tenants include Great Clips, Rita’s, an Italian ice chain; a Japanese restaurant called Miyako Express and a nail salon.

The line of stores on the opposite side of the shopping center next to Firestone Complete Auto Care have been remodeled, with a new façade, Schreiber said. The former movie theater is under construction and will house a new two-story 15,000-square-foot Medac, which will contain corporate offices, corporate health care and an urgent care, said Bill Gage, a Wilmington architect. Construction could be completed in July.

On the other side of the shopping center, the Harris Teeter expansion will allow the store to include more offerings, including a sub shop, salad bar and a Starbucks, said Jennifer Thompson, spokeswoman for the Matthews-based chain. The store is expected to open in late-September or October.

“The new location will also bring 15 additional job opportunities,” she added. The current store, which will remain open until the new one is ready, employs 80.

“This is going to be their Cadillac store here in Wilmington,” said John Karfit, a superintendent with the Winston-Salem-based general contractor, Sexton Construction Co. Inc.

Karfit said the 53,000-square-foot store features natural lighting provided by a row of windows along the roof line. Arched windows at the store’s front, also bring in sunlight, an aesthetic feature that also saves on energy costs.