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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- An entire city block in Kirksville is undergoing a major transformation.

The piece of property at the corner of West Jefferson and South First streets in Kirksville will eventually be a new parking lot for A.T. Still University's new dental school.

In recent weeks, crews using heavy equipment have leveled two rental homes that stood on the land.

They also demolished a mini-storage unit that was located on the property.

The site is right across Jefferson Street from the Northeast Missouri Health Council's new building and the property where the new dental school will be built.

The site will have to be leveled before concrete for the parking lot can be poured.

"Some fill will be brought in,” said Michael McManis, Ph.D., ATSU VP for planning, assessment and institutional effectiveness. “We'll have to take down, unfortunately, some of these smaller trees, and then there will be a fair amount of grading. It will be a continuous parking lot. In other words, some folks look at the current grade and think we're going to have a stair step parking lot or retaining wall. That's not the vision. This will be a regular flat parking lot."

The $100,000 forgivable loan from the City of Kirksville is going toward the cost of ATSU's new parking lot.

The lot will have approximately 170 spaces.

McManis says the parking lot should take about two months to complete.

Many may remember the future parking lot site is where The Golden Spike bar used to be before it was destroyed by a lightning strike and the resulting fire several years ago.