By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — The long-anticipated Fairway Market was making its way to the Upper East Side Wednesday with a groundbreaking ceremony in front of its new store on East 86th Street.
City officials, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, were expected to attend the 11 a.m. ceremony at the 240 East 86th Street location.
Rumors first circulated about Fairway's plan to move into the 60,000 square foot space left vacant by Barnes and Noble and Circuit City in February.
Negotiations to move in hit a snag last spring over Department of Transportation plans to share the store's loading zone with other businesses along Second Avenue affected by subway construction.
Store owner, Howard Glickerberg reached an agreement for extended loading hours with the department in August, but it was not clear how large the loading zone would be, irking some Upper East Side residents.
Fairway has two locations in Manhattan on the Upper West Side and in Harlem, managers said they expected the Upper East Side store to open in Februrary.
