Waterford — Starting in April, the Crystal Mall will undergo a year-long $10 million renovation aimed at “softening” the shopper experience, mall owners announced this morning.

The redesign “will transform the mall as you know it” and provide a “totally new shopping experience,” said Karen Tarantino, the mall manager.

The mall was built in 1984 and had a cosmetic upgrade in 1996.

The renovation work, which should bring 200 construction jobs to the region, will feature new floor tiling, redesigned stairways and entrances using “timeless materials” like wood and stone, and widened ramps, said Laurel Sibert, vice president of marketing for mall owner, the Simon Property Group.

Carpeting on the second level and areas where shoppers can rest and congregate on comfortable couches will induce shoppers to spend more time at the mall, said Sibert.

Neutral colors will make the mall’s five anchor stores and 125 specialty stores stand out, added Nicolas A. Middleton, a partner for architectural design firm Cube 3 Studio of Lawrence, Mass. Energy efficient lighting will also be featured in the mall and its parking lots, he said.