Swedish Home Furnishings Retailer Ikea Secures Contractors For Future Miami-Dade Store, On Track To Open Summer 2014

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA – IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that contractors have been hired and a building permit is pending for its future Miami-Dade store in Sweetwater, FL. This progress allows the project to continue on track for a groundbreaking within the next two months and a store opening in Summer 2014, increasing the Swedish retailer’s presence in South Florida. Until then, customers can shop at Broward County’s IKEA Sunrise or online at IKEA-USA.com. (Two other Florida IKEA stores are located in Orlando and Tampa.)

IKEA has chosen one of the nation’s largest construction management firms, Balfour Beatty Construction, to oversee the project. The company (www.balfourbeattyus.com) has deep roots in Florida since its 1933 establishment, and has been recognized as one of FORTUNE’s Best Places to Work and as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering News-Record. Other Florida firms involved with this IKEA project include: Kimley-Horn and Associates forcivil engineering; ATC Associates for geotechnical services; GFA International, Inc. for testing and inspection services, Holland & Knight for local land use counsel; The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm for Brownfield expertise; real estate brokerage The Shopping Center Group for site selection support; and Procacci Development Corporation for selling the land. Atlanta-based GreenbergFarrow is the project architect.

“We are excited that plans are on track to open IKEA Miami in Summer 2014 as our second South Florida store,” said Mike Ward, IKEA US president. “This store will provide a more conveniently located IKEA shopping experience for current and potential Miami-Dade customers, and will help strengthen the IKEA presence in Florida established by stores already in Sunrise, Orlando and Tampa.”

IKEA Miami will feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 500-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. In addition to the more than 500 jobs that are expected to be created during theconstruction phase, approximately 350 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens. IKEA Miami also would provide significant annual sales and property tax revenue for local governments and schools.

The 417,000 square-foot future IKEA Miami, and 1,500 parking spaces, will be built in the City of Sweetwater on 14.6 acres adjacent to the Dolphin Mall, and located west of Miami International Airport at the intersection of the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) and Florida’s Turnpike. Store plans reflect the unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. IKEA also will evaluate solar generation potential for this store to complement the presence of renewable energy generation at nearly 90% of its current U.S. locations.

IKEA strives to be ‘The Life Improvement Store’ and, since its 1943 founding inSweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently 340 IKEA stores in 40 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100.” IKEA incorporates sustainability intoday-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, see IKEA-USA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @DesignByIKEA, and http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/.