Ikea Winnipeg | Completed

[RAFS]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

yes but u also have mall of amarica right beside it what you expect

They don't interfere with each other at all. You could go to Ikea and not even realize the mall is so close.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Spocket

That's the thing though. There's a new development planned for Bishop and Waverley as well as that, right now at least, there's no other retail in the neighbourhood. It's more or less vacant land they're building on. It might be a quasi-brownfield site since most of the parcel is surrounded by industrial or formerly industrial. What I'm getting at though is that if Ikea is to be the anchor that will draw people from across the city (and let's face it, it will) are there no better areas than this for which a big box store could be set up ?

Well , whatever I guess. Kenaston is becoming one giant big-box strip and for once at least, people are clamouring to shop at Ikea. I just figure that there has to be a saturation point along that strip and if it hasn't been reached yet , if we include the new power-center at Bishop and Waverley plus the planned "town centre" for Waverley West , we've got to be pushing our luck.

Most IKEAS I have been to are in non-residential areas and more industrial ones - Vancouver has one in Richmond and its in an industrial area - only decades later did other big box stores start opening near it

its coqutilam store is close to residential but mostly industrial type area between the freeway and the lougheed highway

IKEA Portland is close to the airport no residential area nearby

IKEA seattle is out in nowhere relative to downtown seattle and surrounded by industrual/retail

sounds like the Winnipeg store follows what they usually do

IKEA wanst to make itself the draw and it usually succeeds

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by flatlander

And if it's licensed it will attract all the under 21 year old americans!

Mmm, licensed Ikea.

you can get swedish beer at the cafe

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by RAFS

I've been to that one a few times, and I think it is a pain in the butt!

thats how the store in vancouver (coquitlam) is

a lot of the square footage isn't even open to the shoppers - a lot of the products aren't help yourself in the warehouse - you have to pay and than go to the pickup area where you arrange delivery or pick it up yourself

either way considering the sizes of the stores the parking lots aren't that big

[viperred88]

I know in this day and age its all about cheap land deals with huge parking lots without much fore thought.

I remember hearing there was a time when the Bay and Eatons downtown was the place to shop before the 80s because they were the only big stores around before suburban sprawl of the automobile. Couldn't Ikea be that focal point for downtown which would rejuvenate it. This would force people to come downtown instead to the suburbs.

[sledhead35]

in a perfect world they would set up shop in downtown just like you said. try convincing ikea to go downtown when people are down on their hands and knees for them to just come here.

edit. local business isnt too thrilled about ikea. how much money do you think ikea will take from other furniture shops?

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by sledhead35

in a perfect world they would set up shop in downtown just like you said. try convincing ikea to go downtown when people are down on their hands and knees for them to just come here.

edit. local business isnt too thrilled about ikea. how much money do you think ikea will take from other furniture shops?

someone shoulda thougt of getting ikea to open wen the eatons building as sitting empty

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by viperred88

So one must say then why not put it downtown and make it several stories like the Bay and the old eatons built it and make it work since Ikea endorses. the use of transit

IKEA locations function as their own warehouses. Without a 8-10 bay loading dock the IKEA wouldn't function well so they generally put them along major trucking routes for better accessibility. The locations in Calgary and Edmonton often have LCVs (two trailers behind a semi tractor) doing the deliveries and they aren't allowed on most city streets.

Multi storey buildings are hard (and expensive) to build with the warehouse space needed by IKEA.

Another reason would be that with a multi-storey building they wouldn't be able to effectively have the "mouse maze" design so popular among IKEA locations.

If you want a multi-storey urban furniture and housewares store Winnipeg should try to get a Crate and Barrel location.

[pegcity]

Originally Posted by h0twired

IKEA locations function as their own warehouses. Without a 8-10 bay loading dock the IKEA wouldn't function well so they generally put them along major trucking routes for better accessibility. The locations in Calgary and Edmonton often have LCVs (two trailers behind a semi tractor) doing the deliveries and they aren't allowed on most city streets.

Multi storey buildings are hard (and expensive) to build with the warehouse space needed by IKEA.

Another reason would be that with a multi-storey building they wouldn't be able to effectively have the "mouse maze" design so popular among IKEA locations.

If you want a multi-storey urban furniture and housewares store Winnipeg should try to get a Crate and Barrel location.

I guess this would a perfect time to start a "Bring Crate and Barrel to Winnipeg petition"

Facebook here I come...

[flatlander]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but Mayor Katz and Michael Nozick, owner of Fairweather Properties and future landlord to Ikea, are buddies.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Not to be a jerk or anything, but Mayor Katz and Michael Nozick, owner of Fairweather Properties and future landlord to Ikea, are buddies.

hahahahaha as always

[RAFS]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Not to be a jerk or anything, but Mayor Katz and Michael Nozick, owner of Fairweather Properties and future landlord to Ikea, are buddies.

So? Is the Mayor not allowed to have friends?

[hexrae]

Well, if there's any real concern then have a review for conflict of interest. Jim Flaherty just got cleared concerning a contract awardment, so this situation isn't unheard of.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by RAFS

So? Is the Mayor not allowed to have friends?

Wow that's a naive question. But what happens when the City offers millions of dollars to widen a road to connect the rest of the City to his buddy's site?

[RAFS]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Wow that's a naive question. How about when the City is offering millions of dollars to widen a road to connect the rest of the City to his buddy's site?

What's the mayor supposed to do? He has friends. He probably has friends that are fairly well off. Out of "principle", is he supposed to ignore them and only deal with people he doesn't know? It may very well be that Fairweather is the right choice, and not because of any "buddy" issue.

And let's face it. Sometimes in life, people get ahead because of WHO they know. Now tell me, who's really being naive here?

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by RAFS

What's the mayor supposed to do? He has friends. He probably has friends that are fairly well off. Out of "principle", is he supposed to ignore them and only deal with people he doesn't know? It may very well be that Fairweather is the right choice, and not because of any "buddy" issue.

And let's face it. Sometimes in life, people get ahead because of WHO they know. Now tell me, who's really being naive here?

You're right, it might be the right choice, regardless of any buddy issue, but past behaviour doesn't allow to me to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And of course you're right - people get ahead because of who they know. But when they're using public resources to get themselves ahead, does that pass the smell test?

Unfortunately neither of us are naive. We're both right.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Wow that's a naive question. But what happens when the City offers millions of dollars to widen a road to connect the rest of the City to his buddy's site?

Funny no talk of a PPP when the mayors friends project's are the benefactors of city funding! Kenaston widening is fast-tracked while needed bike routes, bridges and infrastructure improvements are put off year after year.

[1ajs]

Big chains have an eye on free-spending Winnipeg
By: Murray McNeill
Winnipeg Free Press


MANITOBANS were on a retail spending bender for the first 10 months of this year, and that has some of the world's biggest retailers sniffing around Winnipeg for expansion opportunities.

Only days after international home furnishings giant IKEA unveiled plans to build a new 350,000-square-foot destination store in southwest Winnipeg, a spokeswoman for one of the world's largest clothing and fashion retailers-- Sweden-based H&M -- said it's also got its eye on Winnipeg for expansion.

"We are expanding throughout Canada and we're always looking for new and great cities to expand into," Emily Scarlett said Thursday. "And being a major city, Winnipeg is definitely on our radar screen."

It may be Manitobans' free-spending ways that is starting to attract the attention of big-league players, according to retail analyst John Winter and developer Sandy Shindleman.

Not only did the province chalk up the country's second-biggest increase in retail sales in 2007 (9.4 per cent), but new Statistics Canada figures Thursday show it's also been one of the leaders this year, with the second biggest September-to-October gain (0.7 per cent), the third-biggest October-over-October increase (7.0 per cent), and the third-biggest year-to-date increase (8.7 per cent).

"That's going to impress people and get them coming here," Shindleman said.

He and the local developer who helped bring IKEA to Winnipeg -- Michael Nozick of Fairweather Properties -- both predicted there'll be plenty more big retailers coming to Winnipeg over the next four or five years.

Nozick said he's negotiating with two big international outfits -- he wouldn't say which -- that are interested in being part of the same 1.5-million-square-foot retail development that Fairweather and IKEA are planning for Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

"There are many others (large international chains) who aren't here, but they will be here," he said. "And the fact IKEA is already here will bring them much, much sooner."

While Nozick wouldn't name names, Shindleman rattled off half a dozen U.S. retailing giants that are either looking to enter Canada, or are already here and looking to expand across the country.

They include building and home supplies giant Lowes, outdoor sporting goods retailer Bass Pro Sports, auto parts suppliers Pep Boys and AutoZone, and tire retailers Tire One and Discount One.

Shindleman said if they come to Canada, they'll eventually land in Winnipeg. That's because the city offers many of the things destination retailers are looking for, including free-spending consumers, large tracts of land with good transportation, and retail-friendly governments.

"They need a fertile welcome from government... and we have a kind of unprecedented harmony within the last year or two, with the province and the city being on the same page (when it comes to accommodating new retail development)," he said.

Winter said a large and growing population is also a must. With a population of close to 700,000 people -- 712,000 if you include the 10 surrounding bedroom communities in the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area -- Winnipeg has what it takes, he said.

"Seven hundred thousand people is one hell of a large market and most retailers should be in a market of 700,000 people."

H&M is rumoured to be looking at the former Canada Safeway space in Polo Park Shopping Centre, but Scarlett and Polo Park general manager Deborah Green would neither confirm nor deny that.

A spokesman for Bass Pro Sports was also noncommittal about whether it's interested in opening one of its superstores, which can be 150,000 square feet in size, in Winnipeg. He said he wasn't aware of any such plans, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by RAFS

So? Is the Mayor not allowed to have friends?

They can only be friends of the homesless .. poor and hopeless. (according to the misinformed)


If someone has a business background in a city like Winnipeg, chances are they know many other people in the business community .. and may even be "buddies" as you say. I believe they call it networking.

This can be considerd benefit the city, as Winnipeg has a much closer realationship with the business community as a whole, hense Winnipeg is rapidly becoming an attractive city to invest in.

I doubt anyone is suggesting there were some form of favoritism by the city, as Ikea would descide what property developer it wants to work with . The city has no say in the arrangements Ikea has with its business partners. The IKEA development required an ungrade to Route 90, as has been in the city's plan's for many years. The tome has come .. no conspiracy.

Wait...

... it could be a giant consiracy between Susan Thompson and other former mayors and IKEA.. whoa!!!

Give me a break.

[newflyer]

Funny how this line of thought isn't brought up when Murray and Doer give giant contracts to there union buddies .. and watched the bill balloon to massive over billing.

WOW... public money being wasted to benefit union buddies. No consideration for the public... yet socialists have nothing to say on the matter.

Alas if this road contract for the Ikea store was large enough it may gone to P3.. but considering there is a tight time line in order to accomadate this massive development investment and the road contract will be less than $20M, the city will probibly work with what it has.