356,000-SF Ikea To Open Ahead of Schedule

CHARLOTTE, NC-As the Carolinas’ first Ikea nears completion, the home furnishings retailer has named Feb. 18, 2009 as the 356,000-square-foot store’s opening date. Originally the store wasn’t expected to open until the spring. The Charlotte Ikea, located at the northeastern corner of Interstate 85 and City Boulevard, will be the fifth in the Southeast, with the other locations in Atlanta, Woodbridge, VA, Orlando and Sunrise, FL. After February the Sweden-based company will have a total of 36 stores throughout the US, until this summer when the 353,000-square-foot Tampa, FL store on 29 acres along Adamo Drive opens, making the count 37.

“We made excellent progress on construction in the summer and fall, so we are thrilled, yet confident, the remaining construction milestones and interior build-up process will be complete by February–much earlier than originally envisioned,” said Richard Castanon, store manager of the future Ikea Charlotte, in a release. “Now our primary goal is hiring and training the nearly 400 local hires joining the Ikea family before we open.”

The newest store is set to include 49 room settings, three model home interiors, a 350-seat café offering snacks and small meals including Ikea’s famous Swedish meatballs, a supervised children’s play area, baby care rooms and preferred parking. The value of the project has not been disclosed.