Brea Mall is getting an all-encompassing makeover – its first in 25 years.

Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group will announce plans today for a multimillion-dollar renovation that begins in March and is slated to be completed in November. The stores will stay open throughout the nine-month revamp.

The makeover will include exterior and interior upgrades to give the ’80s-style mall a contemporary look and several family- and tech-friendly features.

“The center is quite dated,” said Kelly Hartsell, Simon’s regional vice president for the west. “The renovation is an opportunity to provide an improvement to the color palette, the textures, the tiles, the restroom fixtures, and even little things such as adding seating areas to create a comfortable atmosphere and make it inviting for shoppers to stay longer.”

In addition to the Brea Mall – north Orange County’s biggest mall – the Simon group owns the Westminster Mall, The Shops at Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills Mall, and The Outlets at Orange, along with hundreds of shopping centers in North America and Asia.

During the recession, the company evaluated its retail properties in Orange County and identified Brea Mall as a priority, especially because the shopping center is a high performer, Hartsell said. Brea and the surrounding cities make up a “very dynamic” and “highly competitive market.”

That competition includes Brea Downtown, which is about two miles away and has grown as an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment district. Stores include Bath & Body Works, Chico’s and Loft.

As the population in the mall’s surrounding neighborhoods and nearby cities has grown, the demographics also have changed to include many more families with young children, Hartsell said.

Several additions are designed to cater to these customers: a children’s play area, family restroom and nursing lounge on the lower level near Macy’s. A larger and faster elevator may seem inconsequential, but Hartsell said that too is calculated to better accommodate the double-stroller brigade.

For most customers, the most visible changes will center on the modern design outside and inside. The mall’s main entrances will have new signage, landscaping and lighting; the diamond-patterned floor tiles, old carpets and metal railings will be replaced with updated tiles, carpets and glass railings.

In addition to free wireless that’s available now, the technological improvements will include charging stations near seating areas.

Five new tenants are coming into the shopping center during the renovation, including an Oakley store. Negotiations are ongoing for others, Hartsell said.

Brea Mall is on par with The Shops at Mission Viejo and Irvine Spectrum Center, but has fewer competitors than those South County malls, retail consultant Greg Stoffel said.

When nothing is done to improve or update a mall, customers start seeing the wear and tear and might be less likely to visit often, said Stoffel, principal at Irvine-based Stoffel & Associates. Attractive retailers are likely to leave a mall that doesn’t look good or doesn’t have “high quality tenancy.” That, in turn, keeps shoppers away.

“Every center needs to be updated to some degree on a regular basis,” Stoffel said. “Owners upgrade their properties in order to keep them attractive for shoppers and potential retailers.

“For an indication of how important it is, look to Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza. They have undergone renovations in the past few years.”

Contact the writer: 714-796-7969 or lliddane@ocregister.com