Sunrise weighs trip to view Ikea
Retailer invites officials to visit California store
By Jeremy Milarsky
Staff Writer
Posted April 30 2005
Sunrise · Hoping to break into the South Florida market, executives from Swedish furniture giant Ikea have invited elected officials from Sunrise to visit one of their stores in California.
Commissioners are considering whether to take a trip at the city's expense to one of the Ikea stores in California in order to get a better idea of how a similar furniture outlet would affect West Sunrise.
Ikea executives for months have been negotiating with Fort Lauderdale developer Stiles Corp., and considering whether to lease space in that company's planned retail center on the northwest corner of Southwest 136th Avenue and State Road 84. Stiles owns about 25 acres at that location, which once housed Blockbuster Golf and Games.
"Allowing the Ikea is a major decision," Sunrise Mayor Steve Feren said. "So it might not be a bad idea to go out and look at one."
Fort Lauderdale is more than 1,000 miles away from the nearest Ikea store, in suburban Washington, D.C. But Sunrise officials want to visit an Ikea that would be similar in size and design to the one informally proposed in Sunrise, such as one of those in California.
"Every store is slightly different," Feren said.
About three months ago, commissioners met individually with Ikea executives to discuss the project. They saw concept drawings calling for a two-story store almost 200,000 square feet in size, three buildings with retail businesses, a 1.4-acre pond to retain storm water and a parking garage with more than 500 spaces.
Feren said any trip to a remote Ikea store would be financed by the city, "not the developer," and he pointed out he and his fellow elected officials visited La Ciudad de los Ninos in Mexico City before approving plans for the similar Wannado City theme park in Sawgrass Mills.
City Attorney Kim Register said such a trip would not violate Florida's open-meetings law unless commissioners discuss city business while in California.
Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth said his company has a continuing interest in Florida.
"It remains a site well-suited for Ikea," Roth said of the Sunrise property. "And certainly, anyone is welcome to go and visit one of our stores. That's something we always say upfront."
The state has more Ikea customers than any other state without an Ikea store; about 250,000 people in Florida shop at Ikea online, receive shipped furniture or order company catalogues, Roth said.
The furniture company had hoped to build a store in Davie, but executives last year withdrew their request after some residents voiced opposition.
Jeremy Milarsky can be reached at jmilarsky@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2020.
Retailer invites officials to visit California store
By Jeremy Milarsky
Staff Writer
Posted April 30 2005
Sunrise · Hoping to break into the South Florida market, executives from Swedish furniture giant Ikea have invited elected officials from Sunrise to visit one of their stores in California.
Commissioners are considering whether to take a trip at the city's expense to one of the Ikea stores in California in order to get a better idea of how a similar furniture outlet would affect West Sunrise.
Ikea executives for months have been negotiating with Fort Lauderdale developer Stiles Corp., and considering whether to lease space in that company's planned retail center on the northwest corner of Southwest 136th Avenue and State Road 84. Stiles owns about 25 acres at that location, which once housed Blockbuster Golf and Games.
"Allowing the Ikea is a major decision," Sunrise Mayor Steve Feren said. "So it might not be a bad idea to go out and look at one."
Fort Lauderdale is more than 1,000 miles away from the nearest Ikea store, in suburban Washington, D.C. But Sunrise officials want to visit an Ikea that would be similar in size and design to the one informally proposed in Sunrise, such as one of those in California.
"Every store is slightly different," Feren said.
About three months ago, commissioners met individually with Ikea executives to discuss the project. They saw concept drawings calling for a two-story store almost 200,000 square feet in size, three buildings with retail businesses, a 1.4-acre pond to retain storm water and a parking garage with more than 500 spaces.
Feren said any trip to a remote Ikea store would be financed by the city, "not the developer," and he pointed out he and his fellow elected officials visited La Ciudad de los Ninos in Mexico City before approving plans for the similar Wannado City theme park in Sawgrass Mills.
City Attorney Kim Register said such a trip would not violate Florida's open-meetings law unless commissioners discuss city business while in California.
Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth said his company has a continuing interest in Florida.
"It remains a site well-suited for Ikea," Roth said of the Sunrise property. "And certainly, anyone is welcome to go and visit one of our stores. That's something we always say upfront."
The state has more Ikea customers than any other state without an Ikea store; about 250,000 people in Florida shop at Ikea online, receive shipped furniture or order company catalogues, Roth said.
The furniture company had hoped to build a store in Davie, but executives last year withdrew their request after some residents voiced opposition.
Jeremy Milarsky can be reached at jmilarsky@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2020.