IKEA

[abbitt]

I read in one of the forum threads a few days ago about IKEA expressing an interest in Charlotte, specifically near downtown. Anyone know anything else about this? I would love to see an IKEA in Charlotte. The only other store in the southeast is in, of course, Atlanta. Does anyone else feel IKEA would be a good fit for Charlotte?

[monsoon]

We have discusse this several times here. Answer to both questions is no & no. They are not coming and it would not be a good fit. (thankfully)

[Miesian Corners]

We have discusse this several times here.  Answer to both questions is no & no.  They are not coming and it would not be a good fit.  (thankfully)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Moira Quinn (Charlotte Center City Partners) said at the ULI meeting last week that they had expressed interest in the Hal Marshall site at N Tryon and E 11th streets.

[atlrvr]

I find it a bit presumptious to say they aren't coming, when I stated that Moira Quinn told me they called her to inquire about potential sites. I don't expect them to announce a site this year, but Charlotte is definetly on their radar. Remember, it's not always the size of the market with these companies, but usually in markets that have high volumes of catalog/internet orders.

[Raintree21]

Ikea offers low price quality items from what I've been told. I don't see why they wouldn't fit here. It would provide jobs and inexpensive furniture to Charlotte.

[murderingmouth]

We have discusse this several times here.  Answer to both questions is no & no.  They are not coming and it would not be a good fit.  (thankfully)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why? Ikea is especially needed if real estate continues to drive people into smaller and smaller and more expensive dwellings. This is why Ikea does so well in denser urban areas: its prices kick ass and its furniture is very light, small and portable. Not sure I'd ever have been able to fit any comfortable furniture into my little SF hovel without IKEA.

Besides, their meatballs are to DIE for. Manager's Special with fries and a salad, please... Yum.

MM

[atownrocks]

I have been to a IKEA at in California, and it is huge. I think IKEA would do well in Charlotte. But the question is where in Charlotte.

[murderingmouth]

I have been to a IKEA at in California, and it is huge. I think IKEA would do well in Charlotte. But the question is where in Charlotte.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Although many people here seem to yearn for a redevelopment location somewhere near downtown, don't put any money on it. IKEA is very particular about the design and placement of their stores. They focus on an urban market, but they do that by locating in the 'burbs where land is cheap. They require huge parcels and they design their stores in a very paternalistic manner. I have NEVER seen them use an existing or downtown location in the USA. Even their redevelopment locations are new buildings in "clearance" slums...

Depending on when they make their move (I predict another 3-6 years at least), they'll probably locate on the newest of the virgin land opened up by the 485...

MM

[DigitalSky]

Personally i like IKEA and would like to see them come to Charlotte - and if they came to uptown it wold be better than the suburbs most definately

[murderingmouth]

Personally i like IKEA and would like to see them come to Charlotte - and if they came to uptown it wold be better than the suburbs most definately

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like IKEA, too, as I pointed out in my previous post. However, it's a total pipe dream to expect them to land anywhere even close to downtown. I put my money on the southern 485/77 interchange if they come in the next 5 years, or the northern 485/77 or 485/85 when they are built if it's after that.

MM

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

If IKEA does move into Charlotte, it may be years before any of us see the store. The first time they go into an area, they average a good five years between expressing interest and actually opening the store. They plan very carefully, unlike a lot of other chains.

IKEA would be good for Charlotte, but they'll probably go with FL first. They couldn't possibly overlook Orlando!

[fulcrumsf]

I would like to see an Ikea too, recently Charlotte got an EQ3 store which is similar to Ikea in price and furniture, however they are not nearly as large as Ikea and they seeem to be doing okay.

[dubone]

"not nearly as large as ikea" lol

it is not nearly as large as a suburban living room, let alone an ikea !

[reverbandwhiskey]

Oh how I would love an Ikea.....

[49er]

the hal marshall site would work. they like the stores to be visible from an interstate....

[dubone]

The large vacant area in third ward (?) south of W Morehead would seem to be a better site. It is large, vacant, the street network can be manipulated slightly without causing major traffic distruptions, it isn't right on the light rail line (large furniture stores aren't transit supportive, imo), is visible from BOTH 77 and Belk and it isn't just on/off tryon (which if left vacant long enough will eventually be a scraper).

If they want to be off brookshire, why can't they go just north of the freeway, and start moving economic life in that direction?

[atlrvr]

I think across Morehead from BofA Stadium is the best site (is this the same you were thinking?).......it has great visibility from 277 and could have visibility from I-77.....but certainly that area would be the best intown site.....the Hal Marshall site would be a disaster IMO, because it would take up more than 1 block (kills the road grid), plus if it ever left that store, do we want a HUGE box store closed on N. Tryon?

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

One thing we can do to spur IKEA to place a store here is to sign up for their email list. They use those zip codes when trying to determine how much interest there is. And shopping the closest store helps, too. If people are willing to drive to the one in ATL to shop, they can see how well a store would work here.

IKEA is not like other stores where they'd just assume we'll be happy shopping at one further away. If people express interest, a lot of interest, they'll definitely come. That's how they got interested in ATL.

Hey, where is Hal Marshall? I'm not familiar with any of these locations except for N.Tryon. thanks.

[dubone]

i agree... NO to hal marshall (although i must not that 10th does not existin on hal marshall land, so the current blocks are actually 2-blocks large, extending from 9th to 11th between brevard and trolley, trolley and college, and college and tryon (with the exeption of that little random connector street just south of the old sears.)

I was talking about the same area. It was called "west end" in another thread talking about a possible development there... i don't like the west end label, but what to call it, i'm not sure. Coffee Cup district? Coffee Cup Corner? Belk-Morehead (BeMo )? Cedar-Morehead (CeMo)? Southwest End? Third Ward Plus? West Morehead East? Third Ward South? Duke Triangle?

[JunktionFET]

I think it would be great to have an IKEA in Charlotte. I like some of their furniture, though not all of it. Their prices are generally cheap and the furniture is sometimes styled pretty neat.

Right now the closest IKEA to me is one of the 3 or 4 locations in the DC area. A Charlotte store would be great.

[teshadoh]

NorffCarolina - you wouldn't want to come down to Atlanta to shop at Ikea?

I would strongly suggest not supporting an Ikea in downtown - you don't want a big box store with the parking in what you would want to be an urban environment. The only exception would be in a parcel that is 'deep', that has no visibility beyond the front. Otherwise, it would be an eyesore.

In Atlanta's case, the location is reasonable, though it's in Midtown it is backed up by some undevelopable land - in that sense the property is deep. But there is still a large amount of parking space between the street & store creating a dead zone. And this is supposedly their most urban store to date...

[dubone]

yeah, i think that is why we are all drawn to the corner of downtown near the coffee cup. it is surronded by two freeways with active industrial land across the freeway on the only street connection across the freeway. that area has been vacant for years, even though is near many growing corridors.

[teshadoh]

yeah, i think that is why we are all drawn to the corner of downtown near the coffee cup.  it is surronded by two freeways with active industrial land across the freeway on the only street connection across the freeway.  that area has been vacant for years, even though is near many growing corridors.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like it has great potential in being a Charlotte styled Atlantic Station (Atlanta brownfield redevelopment).

[JunktionFET]

NorffCarolina - you wouldn't want to come down to Atlanta to shop at Ikea?

I would love to if it meant I could chill with you and a few other cool ATL forumers, but the DC locations are just so much closer to me than ATL, and I'm lazy

BUT If I was already in Charlotte shopping for cheapo furniture, it would be a lot easier for me to justify another couple hours down the road to Atlanta. Errr, or something like that.

[larry]

IKEA carries light weight Scandanavian type furniture that is reasonably priced and very suitable for students. And since Charlotte seems to be becoming a major college town, especially in central city, it would be a nice addition. I lived in London and it is very popular. Of course, it was one of the cheaper places to buy furniture there. I think that they would be wise to locate in Charlotte..