Crews have begun demolishing the old Village Fair Mall on 22nd Avenue in Meridian.

The mall shut down in 1997 and Lauderdale County purchased the approximately 39-acre property for $1.25 million last year.

County leaders plan to build a new courthouse complex at the site. 

In January, the board voted to accept a bid from Snyder Environmental and Construction to remove asbestos from the mall and tear it down to the slab, at a cost of $1,708,820.

Last month, supervisors voted to pay Snyder an additional $85,203 to remove asbestos material that Board President Kyle Rutledge said was discovered on 294 columns at the mall. 

County Administrator Chris Lafferty said the demolition is expected to be finished no later than mid-July.