DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — The home-furnishing retailer IKEA is coming to Jacksonville.
IKEA made the announcement on Wednesday. The retailer plans to start construction next summer and open in the fall of 2017, depending on approvals. The store is planned off Gate Parkway and Interstate 295 near the St. Johns Town Center.
The proposed store will be the first in the North Florida area, which means shoppers won't have to travel to visit IKEA.
"That’s great. Gives us another option. We love IKEA, it’s a great brand," said shopper Brenda Postell.
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The Swedish company has 41 stores in the U.S., with four IKEA stores in Florida: Orlando, Tampa, Sunrise and Sweetwater.
The proposed store will be 294,000 square feet. It will feature 50 room settings, three model home interiors, a 350-seat restaurant and more.
IKEA Representative Joseph Roth said, "We already have more than 57,000 customers here in Northeast Florida, and we are excited about proposing a new store for them and the countless new customers."
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The store is expected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and 250 store jobs when it opens.
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"We’re all in this together," said Mayor Lenny Curry. "We’re going to work this partnership, this team to transform the city."
IKEA representatives also said it will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90 percent of its U.S. locations.
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