A full-sized IKEA store is coming to Halifax.
The store will take about a year and a half to build, and will be built in Dartmouth Crossing, the company announced.
Mayor Mike Savage was joined by the president of Ikea Canada, Stefan Sjöstrand for the highly-anticipated announcement on Friday.
The IKEA will have a restaurant, Market Hall, show room, playroom for children and a range of services including delivery and assembly.
Sjöstrand said this will be the most sustainable store in Canada and that eventually there will be a bus line out to the IKEA store for customers to use, but the company did not say when it would be completed.
“This store will be a significant employer in our region, with 3-400 jobs, not including those generated through construction,” he said.
Savage also touched on other attractions like Neptune Theatre, the Halifax Mooseheads and Hurricanes sports teams, and unique shops in Halifax that will potentially benefit from customers coming to take advantage of the new store.
Construction is slated to start this summer, and the store will be 328,000 sq ft. in size.
The first North American IKEA was opened in Dartmouth in the 1970s, and since its closure in 1987, some Halifax residents have been lobbying for its return.
Announcement creates buzz and rumours
Within minutes of the news of a meeting just a couple days ago, Twitter was abuzz with conversation and speculation about what kind of location the Swedish furniture store might set up here.
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In January, IKEA Canada dismissed rumours that they were opening 10 more stores in the country, but did confirm they were planning to open pick-up points, or warehouses where customers can pick up things they’ve ordered online.
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