"Our most recent plans were at the request of the city," Dan Saucier, project manager for the IKEA store here, tells GlobeSt.com. "We had a smaller footprint, a housing complex, restaurant and retail. We offered them what they wanted." IKEA's previous plans had included a 220,000-sf footprint that was reduced in this plan to 160,000 sf. This plan also included a 40-unit residential component.
According to Sean Fitzgerald, the mayor's spokesperson, IKEA's plans did not go far enough. "We're trying to send a clear message to developers at Assembly Square," he tells GlobeSt.com. "The mayor is looking for real, substantial mixed use. A 40-unit housing complex will not cut it. She's looking for more commercial tax revenue. The mayor was less than delighted by the new plans."
Adds Fitzgerald, the mayor was encouraged that IKEA is moving in the right direction. "This parcel is too vital a site for the establishment of a big box with a token of mixed-use housing," he notes.
While Saucier insists to GlobeSt.com that he believes IKEA's plans conform with the mayor's vision, he says that IKEA has revisited the plan and will meet with the mayor next week. "We're giving them all the mixed-use they want," he says. "This is 100% in keeping with the long-term vision of the Cecil Plan and the city. I would be shocked if this plan is rejected."
IKEA began submitting proposals for its 17-acre parcel here early last year. It had originally sought to build a 300,000-sf store and, at one point, had left the negotiations, insisting that the restrictions from the mayor would prevent the project from being economically viable. Negotiations were reopened two weeks ago.
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