Work starts on Walsall's £8m town centre revamp
Work is due to begin later on Walsall's £8m town centre redevelopment.
Hoardings will be put up around the Old Square Shopping Centre as 55 weeks of construction begins.
More than 150 jobs will be created by the development, a council spokesman said.
The 54,000 sq ft (5016 sq m) shopping centre is due to open in summer 2015 and will see the arrival of new stores in the town, including two newly-built Primark and Co-op stores.
The scheme is being funded by Walsall Council from its own cash reserves. Building work will be carried out by construction firm Morgan Sindall.
Earlier this month, outdoor market traders relocated to make way for the redevelopment.
Walsall Council's portfolio holder for regeneration and transport, Adrian Andrew, said the project was a "hugely pivotal" moment for the town.
The news comes days after a separate £12m development scheme to transform the town's St Matthew's Quarter was unveiled by the council.
Walsall town centre is already home to three indoor shopping centres and an 800-year-old market.