Construction of a new Tesco superstore in Walsall town centre is expected to get under way in March now demolition of the old college has been completed.

Building work on the St Paul’s Street site is earmarked to begin within three months and it is anticipated the main shell will be in place at the end of next year. The store could be ready to open for business by the end of February 2011. Tesco and Walsall College were involved with a land swap deal so the supstore scheme could go ahead.

Tesco spokesman Tony Fletcher said: “At the moment we are hoping, all things equal, construction will start in March and the store will open in the early part of next year.”

It is anticipated once the building is in place it will take between four to six weeks to kit out the superstore with stock and fittings. Around 200 jobs are due to be created as part of the scheme.

The redevelopment is part of an initiative between Tesco, Walsall College, Walsall Council and Walsall Regeneration Company.

The supermarket giant received full planning permission for the 10,880 sq metre store, including 750 car parking spaces, cafe and offices, earlier this year.

Demolition of the old Walsall College got under way in September and a team of 20 men were responsible for pulling down the buildings dating back 57 years.

The hair and beauty salons and classrooms at the St Paul’s Street complex were the last buildings to come down at the start of this month.

The site was vacated by the St Paul’s Campus of Walsall College during the summer break. This was after the completion of the new Wisemore campus.

The five-storey building catering for 12,000 students has more than a 100 teaching rooms and opened for the new September term.

Developers invested a total of £1.2 million in firms in the area providing materials and labour for the project.

Elsewhere in the borough it emerged last week that the proposed expansion of Tesco in Brownhills has stalled.