Sports Plus is on a heavily used stretch of Route 347 through which 54,000 vehicles pass each day. The complex, next to the Smithaven Mall and across the street from a newly built plaza with Border's, Kmart, Office-Max, and Sports Authority, will be part of an almost completely commercial stretch between Middle Country Road and Nicolls Road, known as County Route 97.

Emma Randall, a high school student from nearby St. James, expressed her distress at the commercialization of the major byway so near her home. "There are enough stores and restaurants and such on 347 as it is," she said. "Half the places are empty because they can't compete with each other. Everyone is in such a rush to build but no one thinks about the land itself -- they can tear down and redo empty buildings if they have to but it sill doesn't change the fact the trees and grass are gone."

The Leisure Complexes' executive vice president, Mark Calace,said Sports Plus had been the source of some community concern, but he said he did not believe his center would contribute to traffic problems or compromise the quality of life.

"The traffic our center would generate would not be during commuter rush hour -- peak times for traffic tie-ups on Route 347," he said. "Besides we have followed D.O.T. requirements to improve the roads around Sports Plus and add traffic lights where necessary to mitigate potential problems."

Mr. Calace acknowledged that the center hoped to draw its customer base from the consumer flow into the local shopping areas, but added that because Sports Plus was not another retail center he believed it would add a different and necessary element to the local community.

Mr. Reitzig said the center also hoped to attract families looking for different ways to spend leisure time together. "This will be a great alternative to the same old Friday night dinner and a movie," he said.

The trend toward whole-family interactive entertainment has been, in recent years, among the nation's most profitable business enterprises.