New Plans For Ocean County Mall Approved In Toms River: Report

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Planning Board has approved plans that will revamp Ocean County Mall, bringing in entertainment attractions and reconfiguring part of the property, according to a report.

The mall's owner, Simon Property, has not announced new tenants yet, but its plan to remove the Sears portion of the building and replace it with a smaller retail store and parking were approved Monday night, the Asbury Park Press reported.

In April, Simon announced it had big plans to take the property in a different direction. Those plans include a fitness center, according to the Asbury ParkPress report.

The redevelopment of the Sears end of the mall, replacing the 104,000-square-foot building that was one of the four original anchor stores, will include the demolition of that building and the construction of three new ones separate from the main portion of the mall. Parking will replace the current building.

The work is expected to take 18 months, the report said.

Read more here.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse was approved for the site earlier this year, on the corner of the mall closest to Hooper Avenue.

Sears closed in April as part of the company's continued reduction of storefronts across the country. The company filed for bankruptcy protection earlier in October and announced it will close 142 more stores, including one in Middletown.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com

Follow us on Facebook. Click here to like our page.

Image via Google Maps shows Sears on the list of stores. It has since closed.