Only Macy's and Target--the north and south ends of the mall--will remain free- standing, waiting for the new downtown development.

Project manager Jane Vaughan, who is working with Atlanta's Forum Development Group to make a the project a reality, said Forum is currently working on obtaining demolition permits for the mall structure, so it can begin the second phase of demolition.

The first stage destroyed the old parking structure between the mall and Mathilda Avenue and was completed almost a month ahead of schedule on Nov. 1. The goal then was to have demolition finished so the parking lot could reopen by the start of the holiday shopping season.

Vaughan said Forum hopes to have the permits by the middle of February. The item should be on a council agenda before then, but she was unsure just

when. The council's tentative 2006 agenda list does not have a hearing date.

Vaughn said the majority of the permit work has been to get Macy's and Target to sign off the on the plan.

"We're going to be tearing down the sides of their stores and building temporary façades, so they need to have a say in the decisions," Vaughan said, adding that she doesn't think there will be any complications.

This phase of demolition also stands to have a greater impact on the downtown area as a whole because South Murphy Avenue will lose the parking lot it shared with Macy's. While Vaughan said it will try to keep the parking lot at Washington and South Murphy Avenues open for as long as possible, eventually it, too, will be closed and torn down in preparation for a new parking structure.

Another concern of some residents is that of vermin in the mall. Because the mall has been empty for so long, some residents at council meetings have expressed concern that rats and other pests may look for new homes if their mall home is destroyed.

Vaughan said that while she has never seen rats inside the mall during her visits, they are definitely a possibility, so removal or extermination is part of the demolition mitigation plan. That plan must be presented to the council in order to get approval for the demolition phase.

For updates on the project, visit www.downtownsunnyvale.com or www.sunnyvaletowncenter.com. There is a live video feed available on the latter page.