ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — One of Rocky Mount's biggest scars will soon be erased. Hurricane Floyd flooded Tarrygown Mall in 1999. For years, it sat empty, overgrown and boarded up, and now it is coming down.

Tony Black's crew will help demolish the old mall and build a Sam's Club in its place. They will not be using any explosives, but they will tear it down piece by piece.

"It's going to be hectic. [We've] got a lot of coordination to do," he said.

The mall's demolition is something residents have been waiting for six years.

"I'm glad. I'm really glad they're tearing down the mall and putting a Sam's Club there," said resident Yasmine Harris.

"Since it's flooded and they can't use it, I'm glad to at least be able to put something in there to give people more jobs," said resident Wanda Brown.

Right now, crews are working to get asbestos out of the building. They said it could take two months to clear the site.

City Manager Steve Raper said the project is a symbolic and economic boost. The mall sits in a high traffic area near the center of the city.

"It means that we don't have to look at an old flooded mall anymore and two, we'll see that property put back to good use," he said.

For some longtime residents, it is tough to see the landmark go. Someone spray-painted a goodbye message on the building. Brown said she will also miss the place.

"You know I have all the good memories as a little girl going in there and it is kind of sad," she said.

Because of flood maps, crews will have to build the new Sam's Club higher than the old mall. They expect to finish the project early next year.