TOMS RIVER - A gentle-looking red dragon with a content smile has shown up on the JCPenney side of the Ocean County Mall, the first completed sign of a renovation project that promises to transform the shopping center.

The dragon is part of a new children's area, called Play, that will have its grand opening on Saturday.

The new attraction replaces the old play area which was located in the former Sears wing. Play is sponsored by RWJBarnabas Health.

It features a forest adventure theme and includes developmental activities such as an interactive stomp light tower, play panels, a stone bridge and forest animal elements. The play area also includes a seating area for parents and caregivers as well as charging stations for smartphones.

“Play, the new children’s play area, is evidence of our continued commitment to remaining a dynamic and interactive family-friendly destination in the community,” said Erin Barbato, director of marketing and business development at Ocean County Mall.

What's next for the mall?

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, located along Hooper Avenue, is expected to open this summer. It will be the company's first restaurant at the Jersey Shore.

Simon Property Group, the mall's owner, has demolished the vacant Sears store and will build a "lifestyle center." This week, workers are installing construction fencing and re-routing traffic on the mall's ring road.

The 104,000-square-foot Sears store is being replaced with 97,679-square-feet of retail space, along with a new mall entrance on the north side of the building and new landscaping.

The site plan calls for the construction of two buildings, separate from the main mall. One 34,000-square-foot building would have a single tenant. An adjacent building would have five tenants, in spaces ranging from 2,850 square feet to 28,000 square feet.

Besides the new entrance, Simon also wants to build two additions to the mall building.

One addition would have three shops, ranging from 2,335 square feet to 2,840 square feet. The other addition would have two spaces for tenants, one at 3,100 square feet, the other 6,248 square feet.

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The grand opening of Play at Ocean County Mall will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and will include prizes, face painting, balloon animals, a magic show and a special “goodie bag” for the first 100 attendees.

Have you seen a construction project in Monmouth or Ocean counties and wanted to know what is going there? Contact business writer David P. Willis dwillis@gannettnj.com, and we will look into it for a future column. Meanwhile, join the What's Going There group on Facebook and stay in touch with the latest developments.

David P. Willis: 732-643-4039; dwillis@gannettnj.com; facebook.com/dpwillis732

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