IKEA in St. Louis

dweebe · PostMay 30, 2013#5762013-05-30T20:05+00:00

Gateway City wrote:I won't be shopping there much myself, but I love the idea of people from all over the region driving to Midtown to visit our IKEA. A lot of people only come to the city for sports games and similar events. This will bring more people in, plus they will get to see CORTEX instead of just downtown.

It will be one of those regional shopping draws like American Girl, Cabelas and Bass Pro Shop.

Plus, like I've said before, I can just imagine the store bursting at the seams when SLU and Wash U. start each fall. If you've ever been to the Brentwood Target you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. In late August they'll take out a couple thousand sq ft worth of clothing and drop in pallets of minifridges, desks, shelving units and futons.

Alex Ihnen · PostMay 30, 2013#5772013-05-30T20:06+00:00

The most important aspect of this is keeping/getting retail dollars in the city.

roger wyoming II · PostMay 30, 2013#5782013-05-30T20:18+00:00

I'd love to see the day where all the hoopla over IKEA having come to midtown subsides and we settle in with the place bringing in $5 million+ in sales tax every year. Plus, it could potentially lead to other retail nearby, for example a Target at the nearby FPP site as some have rumored.

Anyway, this is an extremely difficult area for redevelopment and IKEA and its $$ would be a huge win.

threeonefour · PostMay 30, 2013#5792013-05-30T21:25+00:00

debaliviere wrote:
onecity wrote:
Ikea is a big box store with parking
...whose absence harms the perception of Saint Louis.
Of all the things that negatively affect people's perceptions of St. Louis, lack of an IKEA is pretty low on the list.

Exactly. I can't imagine too many people measure St. Louis' worth and standing among other major cities based on the lack of an IKEA store. I'd like to have one for the revenue it would bring. SLU and WUSTL students would love it. And a Midtown location would gobble up some land that will probably sit dormant otherwise. Even though the IKEA itself would look like Sprawlsville, its presence could lead to denser development nearby (assuming the city plays its cards right and demands denser development nearby).

I suppose that I'd shop there occasionally, but I wouldn't go ga-ga over it either. I'll be happy when I can stop assembling my own furniture. Then I will know I have truly made it.

Anglophile · PostMay 31, 2013#5802013-05-31T14:38+00:00

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyr ... s_city.php

St. Louis has probably got to be IKEA's most annoying target city. Maybe if we bug them enough they'll hurry up and disclose something concrete. The squeeky wheel gets the grease.

Presbyterian · PostJun 29, 2013#5812013-06-29T04:28+00:00

BP gas station at the southwest corner of Vandeventer and Forest Park unexpectedly closed. Building is dark. Pumps have been removed.

Now I wonder what they might possibly be planning to put at that intersection. I haven't heard anything...

Alex Ihnen · PostJun 29, 2013#5822013-06-29T04:42+00:00

More big changes coming to this intersection, beyond the retail items already talked about here.

Presbyterian · PostJun 29, 2013#5832013-06-29T04:48+00:00

^Of which changes do you speak?

Alex Ihnen · PostJun 29, 2013#5842013-06-29T04:54+00:00

^ And of which corner of the intersection?

Presbyterian · PostJun 29, 2013#5852013-06-29T05:16+00:00

^Yes. Exactly. Now, you were saying...

Alex Ihnen · PostJun 29, 2013#5862013-06-29T05:18+00:00

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

kbshapiro · PostJun 29, 2013#5872013-06-29T12:41+00:00

It will be a student housing development (on the Mobil gas station lot) which will be on the opposite corner as the very secret, mystery very large box retail store

Alex Ihnen · PostJun 29, 2013#5882013-06-29T13:24+00:00

Well, someone's not a fan of drama.

Mark Groth · PostJun 29, 2013#5892013-06-29T14:13+00:00

Wait a minute, you guys are saying we are replacing the Mobil on the north east corner with student housing? 2 gas stations being replaced by a higher purpose? That would be awesome. Is the Ikea thing dead? Haven't heard anything in awhile.

Presbyterian · PostJun 29, 2013#5902013-06-29T16:19+00:00

Looks like we're losing both gas stations. BP just closed. And the Mobile on the northeast corner has plans for student housing:

3853 FOREST PARK AV
Owner: ASSOCIATED GARAGES INC
Building Permit Application: 11/19/2012
[Not yet approved]
Type: MULTI FAMILY
Estimated Cost: $0.00
Description: CONSTRUCT MULTI FAMILY BUILDING PER PLANS (ZONING ONLY)

Gosh... With the sudden paucity of petrol stations, people may have to start taking transit.

To Ikea.

PostJun 29, 2013#5912013-06-29T17:07+00:00

Interesting property consolidation happening in the block bounded by Sarah, Forest Park, Vandeventer and Duncan.

1. Laclede Gas now owns all of the smaller parcels at the northwest corner of that block. Several buildings had been in other hands only a few months ago. And the corner lot had been owned by West End Lofts.

2. With the closure of BP, I suspect we will see that entire block under a single owner very soon.

3. That owner may be Laclede Gas for a brief moment, but I suspect the ultimate owner will not be Laclede Gas.

4. Remember that Cortex pulled a permit recently to house construction equipment there.

Mark Groth · PostJun 29, 2013#5922013-06-29T17:31+00:00

Presbyterian wrote:Looks like we're losing both gas stations. BP just closed. And the Mobile on the northeast corner has plans for student housing:

3853 FOREST PARK AV
Owner: ASSOCIATED GARAGES INC
Building Permit Application: 11/19/2012
[Not yet approved]
Type: MULTI FAMILY
Estimated Cost: $0.00
Description: CONSTRUCT MULTI FAMILY BUILDING PER PLANS (ZONING ONLY)

Gosh... With the sudden paucity of petrol stations, people may have to start taking transit.

To Ikea.

Associated Garages Inc??? I guess that's a step up from Associated Surface Parking Inc.

Presbyterian · PostJun 29, 2013#5932013-06-29T17:58+00:00

^I believe Burt Mandel owns this and St. Louis Parking Co. (not sure the exact ownership structure). I believe he is the seller, though, and not the buyer.

And he really likes the CWE Starbucks

kbshapiro · PostJun 29, 2013#5942013-06-29T18:27+00:00

The buyer is a student housing developer. They'll make the announcement soon I would imagine

PostJun 29, 2013#5952013-06-29T18:30+00:00

Mark Groth wrote:Wait a minute, you guys are saying we are replacing the Mobil on the north east corner with student housing? 2 gas stations being replaced by a higher purpose? That would be awesome. Is the Ikea thing dead? Haven't heard anything in awhile.

No, it's still alive. Hearing a 2015 store opening so it should officially be announced soon.

Mark Groth · PostJun 29, 2013#5962013-06-29T19:15+00:00

Unbelievable. I don't get what's so great about Ikea, but the women in my family have made special trips to Shaumburg to buy stuff...has a tremendous appeal with folks and the tax dollars and reputation boost will be huge for Midtown!!!! If it happens of course

quincunx · PostJun 29, 2013#5972013-06-29T19:22+00:00

Presbyterian wrote:Gosh... With the sudden paucity of petrol stations, people may have to start taking transit.

Oh don't worry there's a new Quiktrip coming just down the road.

ImprovSTL · PostJun 29, 2013#5982013-06-29T20:33+00:00

I hope that mixed use building on vandeventer gets new life thanks to this. Such a cool building.

Chalupas54 · PostJun 29, 2013#5992013-06-29T21:22+00:00

*squeals like a little girl who just got a new cell phone*

Anglophile · PostJun 30, 2013#6002013-06-30T01:18+00:00

Wait wait WAIT, so I'm assuming this is going to be student housing for SLU. So does this mean SLU is actually building urban? Or am I getting my hopes up too much?

IKEA in St. Louis

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