Ikea coming to Jacksonville

[InnerCityPressure]

Easily accessible for those driving in from surrounding regions like Gainesville, Daytona/Palm Coast, Brunswick, etc. The core of all these places are within a 60-70 mile radius of Jax. Add the numbers up with ours and you get close or exceed that 2 million mark mentioned years ago.

Same would be true if it was actually at Town Center.  Sometimes, we stop at Ikea on our way to Disney with the kids.  We are normally drawn to spend a bit more money at the adjacent shops and restaurants, because they are right there.  Sometimes we stop at the Ikea in ATL, but we don't spend extra money, because it is not as convenient.

I think this separation is just far enough from SJTC that we will be missing out on a big chunk of money that could be spent in our city.

[Josh]

Yes, we can all now go buy cheap particleboard furniture together!

They make wood furniture as well. And metal stuff.

and meatballs!

RIP Swedish Bistro food truck

LOL, the one that was only around for like 4 months?

[thelakelander]

Easily accessible for those driving in from surrounding regions like Gainesville, Daytona/Palm Coast, Brunswick, etc. The core of all these places are within a 60-70 mile radius of Jax. Add the numbers up with ours and you get close or exceed that 2 million mark mentioned years ago.

Same would be true if it was actually at Town Center.  Sometimes, we stop at Ikea on our way to Disney with the kids.  We are normally drawn to spend a bit more money at the adjacent shops and restaurants, because they are right there.  Sometimes we stop at the Ikea in ATL, but we don't spend extra money, because it is not as convenient.

I think this separation is just far enough from SJTC that we will be missing out on a big chunk of money that could be spent in our city.

It's closer to the SJTC than the Orlando IKEA is to Disney. It's about as close to the actual town center as it can possibly be. IKEA takes up a pretty big chunk of space. You couldn't squeeze an IKEA into the actual shopping center without demolishing a good portion of it.

[TheCat]

Yes, we can all now go buy cheap particleboard furniture together!

They make wood furniture as well. And metal stuff.

And, also meat stuff. I'm more likely to go for lunch than I am for a dining table.

[dbjax]

Easily accessible for those driving in from surrounding regions like Gainesville, Daytona/Palm Coast, Brunswick, etc. The core of all these places are within a 60-70 mile radius of Jax. Add the numbers up with ours and you get close or exceed that 2 million mark mentioned years ago.

Same would be true if it was actually at Town Center.  Sometimes, we stop at Ikea on our way to Disney with the kids.  We are normally drawn to spend a bit more money at the adjacent shops and restaurants, because they are right there.  Sometimes we stop at the Ikea in ATL, but we don't spend extra money, because it is not as convenient.

I think this separation is just far enough from SJTC that we will be missing out on a big chunk of money that could be spent in our city.

It's closer to the SJTC than the Orlando IKEA is to Disney. It's about as close to the actual town center as it can possibly be. IKEA takes up a pretty big chunk of space. You couldn't squeeze an IKEA into the actual shopping center without demolishing a good portion of it.

Plus, the potential for business expansion in the area around Point Meadows and Gate Parkway will bring additional developments. Could you imagine a SJTC South?

[InnerCityPressure]

It's closer to the SJTC than the Orlando IKEA is to Disney. It's about as close to the actual town center as it can possibly be. IKEA takes up a pretty big chunk of space. You couldn't squeeze an IKEA into the actual shopping center without demolishing a good portion of it.

I was referencing Ikea's proximity to Mall at Millennia.  I guess Disney was unnecessary information...other than the need I felt to give a valid excuse as to why I was in Orlando 

[pierre]

Easily accessible for those driving in from surrounding regions like Gainesville, Daytona/Palm Coast, Brunswick, etc. The core of all these places are within a 60-70 mile radius of Jax. Add the numbers up with ours and you get close or exceed that 2 million mark mentioned years ago.

Same would be true if it was actually at Town Center.  Sometimes, we stop at Ikea on our way to Disney with the kids.  We are normally drawn to spend a bit more money at the adjacent shops and restaurants, because they are right there.  Sometimes we stop at the Ikea in ATL, but we don't spend extra money, because it is not as convenient.

I think this separation is just far enough from SJTC that we will be missing out on a big chunk of money that could be spent in our city.

I am sure this will spur some development on that side of JTB. There alot of empty parcels in that area.

[Captain Zissou]

Are Top Golf, the new DB Headquarters, and IKEA all going to be on this same stretch of Gate between the FBI building and 295?  I'm having trouble keeping it all straight.

[Gunnar]

Yes, we can all now go buy cheap particleboard furniture together!

They make wood furniture as well. And metal stuff.

Plus, for the price (i.e. if you do not want to spend $1000s on a piece of furniture) I find the quality to be quite good (especially compared to what you get at other furniture stores for the same price), at least over here in Europe. Their mattresses are pretty nice, as well.

[Tacachale]

My major problem with Ikea stuff, the particle board stuff any way, is that when it breaks it's basically impossible to repair. You might as throw it out. It's fine for what it is, but when I have the money I'm going to buy real furniture.

But this is a huge grab for Jax. I know I pointed this out before, but if you extend their 60 mile radius to 70 we'll be at the golden 2 million population. Plus we can bring in folks from southern Georgia and northern Florida where there will never be a store.

[David]

I was referencing Ikea's proximity to Mall at Millennia.  I guess Disney was unnecessary information...other than the need I felt to give a valid excuse as to why I was in Orlando 

I see your point. I do always stop at keke's breakfast cafe before or after an Ikea visit. Mmmmm, buffalo chicken omelette.

[simms3]

Yes, we can all now go buy cheap particleboard furniture together!

They make wood furniture as well. And metal stuff.

and meatballs!

RIP Swedish Bistro food truck

That would be sad.  Never had the Swedish Bistro, but have Swedish heritage and grew up eating Swedish food, including homemade Swedish meatballs, and I can't even smell Ikea's version of them, they are so bad.  Last time I went into Ikea, though, it seemed the food court was trying less to be "Swedish" and included more "Americanized" food, like pizza and flatbread sandwiches.  Ikea also got rid of many of the food staples my family found convenient buying in their general store near checkout that were hard to find in the US otherwise...definitely not as Swedish as they used to be perhaps, which could bode well for the food truck, which did look so good in pictures when MJ showcased it a couple years back.

[Tacachale]

[blizz01]

Time to change the thread title?

[thelakelander]

It's closer to the SJTC than the Orlando IKEA is to Disney. It's about as close to the actual town center as it can possibly be. IKEA takes up a pretty big chunk of space. You couldn't squeeze an IKEA into the actual shopping center without demolishing a good portion of it.

I was referencing Ikea's proximity to Mall at Millennia.  I guess Disney was unnecessary information...other than the need I felt to give a valid excuse as to why I was in Orlando 

Don't worry. The surrounding properties will be developed before you know it. Just look at Town Center Parkway. All of that is new development that was built after 2005.