I went to the Ikea voting and video website -- looks like Maplewood is way behind in the voting. Wonder how much press it has gotten in other cities... or how many read Barb Peterson's column here. Hopefully word will make its way around -- I admit that it would be sweet to have one close in the county!
- 7
i lived in los Angeles for a few years and my wife and i would go to Ikea at least once a month. I sure do hope Ikea would consider building a store here in St. Louis somewhere. A odd thing i have noticed a few months back on TV here in St.Louis are Ikea commercials. Why are there Ikea commericals being aired here? Is it to lure people to Chicago to buy there stuff there? Or are they testing responses from local viewers?
It would be smart for Ikea to have a store in the county. I think the upper-class 30-somethings would go crazy over this store
It would be smart for Ikea to have a store in the county. I think the upper-class 30-somethings would go crazy over this store
KirkwoodJoe wrote:i lived in los Angeles for a few years and my wife and i would go to Ikea at least once a month. I sure do hope Ikea would consider building a store here in St. Louis somewhere. A odd thing i have noticed a few months back on TV here in St.Louis are Ikea commercials. Why are there Ikea commericals being aired here? Is it to lure people to Chicago to buy there stuff there? Or are they testing responses from local viewers?
It would be smart for Ikea to have a store in the county. I think the upper-class 30-somethings would go crazy over this store
Welcome to the website noob.
It's been covered further back in this thread but IKEA plans to expand to St. Louis. The thing stopping them is all store management must start at the bottom and work their way through the company. (IKEA doesn't care what size store you managed before.)
IKEA wants to expand but they just don't have enough store management people to grow at a higher rate. I was at the Bollingbrook (Chicago) store last year and talking to some employees on break St. Louis is on the list. Give it time.
BTW: I've never seen a TV ad for IKEA in St. Louis. Then again I have a DVR and fast forward through most ads.
the contest was not to determine a new location for IKEA...it was for a business makeover....from their site...
“Small Businesses, Big Dreams: Furnished by IKEA” is an online video contest that will give a group of neighboring small businesses from one lucky community a dream IKEA design makeover. The contest supports the camaraderie between business owners and the revitalization of small town business districts by asking business owners to enter the contest on behalf of their entire business community. Entries will be judged on creativity and the communal vision of the participating businesses. The grand prize includes IKEA design expertise and furnishings (up to $50,000) to help the winning businesses (up to 10) create spaces that will maximize functionality with stylistic commercial appeal. In addition, the public can go to the site and vote for their favorite video.
Just FYI
“Small Businesses, Big Dreams: Furnished by IKEA” is an online video contest that will give a group of neighboring small businesses from one lucky community a dream IKEA design makeover. The contest supports the camaraderie between business owners and the revitalization of small town business districts by asking business owners to enter the contest on behalf of their entire business community. Entries will be judged on creativity and the communal vision of the participating businesses. The grand prize includes IKEA design expertise and furnishings (up to $50,000) to help the winning businesses (up to 10) create spaces that will maximize functionality with stylistic commercial appeal. In addition, the public can go to the site and vote for their favorite video.
Just FYI
- 366
The Ikea in houston is huge down here. Everyone goes there for cheap college furniture 
. I would definetly want an Ikea in St. Louis
. I would definetly want an Ikea in St. Louis- 3
BTW: I've never seen a TV ad for IKEA in St. Louis. Then again I have a DVR and fast forward through most ads.
I saw an IKEA ad a couple weeks ago. Hopefully this means they will be coming here soon!
I was wondering if anyone has heard of the possibility of IKEA going in to the west of Union Station. I have some information that others on this forum might be able to better confirm or deny than me. Here it is:
-the rebuilding of the 20th and Chestnut interchange with 64/40 will open up a lot of land to the west of Union Station. (We all know this to be the case)
-IKEA is buying up the acreage that is/will be opened up to secure the site.
-a parking structure will be built to accomodate the new IKEA and Union Station.
-Union Station is a U in shape, under the train shed. The parking that fills in the U will be removed for a new retail/restaurant building. This move is what requires the additional parking structure.
-they would like to open by 2010 (which conveniently coincides with the re-opening of the "New I-64").
While it may be heresay, or completely false, it seems to be an exceptional location. Easy highway access (a site requisite for IKEA), a growing (albeit slowly) downtown population, and easy accessibility to the entire metro area. And talk about a big, new reason for people to come downtown!
Any confirmation or refutation is more than welcome.
-the rebuilding of the 20th and Chestnut interchange with 64/40 will open up a lot of land to the west of Union Station. (We all know this to be the case)
-IKEA is buying up the acreage that is/will be opened up to secure the site.
-a parking structure will be built to accomodate the new IKEA and Union Station.
-Union Station is a U in shape, under the train shed. The parking that fills in the U will be removed for a new retail/restaurant building. This move is what requires the additional parking structure.
-they would like to open by 2010 (which conveniently coincides with the re-opening of the "New I-64").
While it may be heresay, or completely false, it seems to be an exceptional location. Easy highway access (a site requisite for IKEA), a growing (albeit slowly) downtown population, and easy accessibility to the entire metro area. And talk about a big, new reason for people to come downtown!
Any confirmation or refutation is more than welcome.
My sister would flip. She always rants about IKEA, and I've gotta say, it would be great to have it go in there rather than in the burbs.
- 2,005
- 11K
Well, the land immediately surrounding VANDERPLUYM REDEVELOPMENT CORP. Sounds Sweedish no? The rest of the land is owned by Metro or Union Station so I guess it's a possibility. I couldn't find anything using the Google regarding Vanderpluym - maybe the land acquisition arm of IKEA?
I was wondering if anyone has heard of the possibility of IKEA going in to the west of Union Station. I have some information that others on this forum might be able to better confirm or deny than me. Here it is:
-the rebuilding of the 20th and Chestnut interchange with 64/40 will open up a lot of land to the west of Union Station. (We all know this to be the case)
-IKEA is buying up the acreage that is/will be opened up to secure the site.
-a parking structure will be built to accomodate the new IKEA and Union Station.
-Union Station is a U in shape, under the train shed. The parking that fills in the U will be removed for a new retail/restaurant building. This move is what requires the additional parking structure.
-they would like to open by 2010 (which conveniently coincides with the re-opening of the "New I-64").
While it may be heresay, or completely false, it seems to be an exceptional location. Easy highway access (a site requisite for IKEA), a growing (albeit slowly) downtown population, and easy accessibility to the entire metro area. And talk about a big, new reason for people to come downtown!
Any confirmation or refutation is more than welcome.
_________________
Architecture is never finished...it simply reaches an inconvenient stopping point.
Per the Secretary of State's web site, Vanderpluym Redevelopment Corp. has been around since the 1960s. It's probably not related to IKEA.
- 10K
Roy314 wrote:Per the Secretary of State's web site, Vanderpluym Redevelopment Corp. has been around since the 1960s. It's probably not related to IKEA.
Didn't George Costanza work for Vanderpluym Redevelopment?
- 6,775
BL211 wrote:importing/exporting
That was the early episodes. It was latex later.
- 1,641
If I've said it once I've said it a million times. Union Station is ideal for IKEA. IKEA is ideal for Union Station. If I was the mayor I'd just give it to 'em. That's the kind of destination place that could totally alter the lame situation there. 8 quality places would be better than 60 useless ones.
- 1,610
The Central Scrutinizer wrote:BL211 wrote:importing/exporting
That was the early episodes. It was latex later.
Imported potato chips & exported diapers, though he wanted to try to focus mainly on the importing.
- 923
leeharveyawesome wrote:If I've said it once I've said it a million times. Union Station is ideal for IKEA. IKEA is ideal for Union Station. If I was the mayor I'd just give it to 'em. That's the kind of destination place that could totally alter the lame situation there. 8 quality places would be better than 60 useless ones.
Um...What? How is IKEA ideal? Cause it takes up a lot of room and union station is now largely vacant?
- 11K
Because it's a regional draw and would bring thousands downtown.
- 282
Grover wrote:Because it's a regional draw and would bring thousands downtown.
Well, it would bring thousands of cars to a singular location --- people would pack up the car with stuff --- and then leave to go assemble their purchases.
Without thinking of the logistics of it, my initial reaction to IKEA in Union Station is that it would be awesome. I just had a few friends go to the CHI and ATL locations and they literally spent the whole day there. That would have to be a good thing for downtown; and from what I've seen, it would be incredibly unique as the few IKEA's I have seen in person have been free standing buildings. Just my knee-jerk response to the idea.
- 11K
Urban Review St. Louis wrote:Grover wrote:Because it's a regional draw and would bring thousands downtown.
Well, it would bring thousands of cars to a singular location --- people would pack up the car with stuff --- and then leave to go assemble their purchases.
And the same can be said for the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, Scottrade Center, EJ Dome, Convention Center, City Museum etc. etc. Yes, many would come and go without seeing anything else downtown, but others may explore and hang around for awhile. I know you put some IKEA stuff in your rehabs right? It's no cure-all, but it is an attraction - one more thing that would bring people downtown. The land is available and I would rather see it here than in Chesterfield or O'Fallon (either one). Not to mention that all these people would be paying taxes in the city (though we can be sure that the first $100M or so would go back to IKEA in a TIF!
).- 282
Ikea is a very auto-centric type of business. Try getting into or around the Ikea in Chicago on a typical weekend. If someone were to ask how to kill off any business at Union Station, I might suggest an adjacent Ikea store. Now, if you want to turn Union Station into the idea that is another story.
I agree on your points about being in the city vs suburban areas such as Chesterfield. Ikea likes very good interstate visibility and reasonably good highway access which limits potential locations in the city. The site off Goodfellow comes to mind as does St. Louis Marketplace.
I agree on your points about being in the city vs suburban areas such as Chesterfield. Ikea likes very good interstate visibility and reasonably good highway access which limits potential locations in the city. The site off Goodfellow comes to mind as does St. Louis Marketplace.
- 1,610
^And Hampton at I-44, where the former MSD offices and City Streets facility could be assembled. Such site has strong highway access and visiblity, albeit less centrally located than Forest Park Parkway near Vandeventer. But I also think the Hampton location between RR tracks and an Interstate would likely have less spillover impacts to nearby neighborhoods than the Midtown site next to SLU.