The walls are officially coming down.

Hy-Vee confirmed the walls of the Oak Park Mall will start coming down Thursday as the grocery store chain continues toward building a new 60,000- to 90,000-square-foot grocery store.

Asbestos removal and some works has already been completed inside, and officials say demolition should take four to six weeks.

Hy-Vee Construction is also working on some exterior walls for tenant spaces.

Hy-Vee will next submit site plans for the city to approve. A grand opening for the new store has not been scheduled.

However, Austin store manager Todd Hepler has previously said the store could open in 2017, though Hepler will leave next month to manage the Cedar Falls, Iowa, store. Dan Goshorn, currently a Hy-Vee manager in Boone, Iowa, will replace him.

Hy-Vee acquired the mall last November with help from the city of Austin, the Austin Port Authority and a $3.65 million grant from The Hormel Foundation.