IKEA to open Oak Creek store in summer 2018; break ground in spring 2017

OAK CREEK -- It's official -- IKEA is coming to Oak Creek. Officials with the Swedish furniture store have confirmed they have plans to build a store in the Milwaukee-area. It is slated to open in summer 2018 -- with construction beginning in spring 2017.

The new store will be located on a large stretch of land along I-94 and Drexel Avenue.

It's not just bedroom sets and kitchenware that Wisconsinites can look forward to. IKEA representatives say the new store will bring 250 full-time jobs.

"There's hitting an economic development home run, and then there's hitting an economic home run grand slam to win a World Series -- that's what this is," said Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi.

Thursday, May 5th was a big day for many, including Mayor Scaffidi -- as the IKEA announcement was made.

"They did tell us one of the reasons they loved Oak Creek was how we respond to things and how we approach things. Innovation, technology, communication," said Scaffidi.

IKEA officials said they had been looking for a good place to set up shop in the Milwaukee area for awhile.

"We seek locations that are very visible, with great access to a highway and we think we found just that," said an IKEA spokesperson.

The new IKEA store is expected to be a single-level store with approximately 295,000 square feet of shopping space. The store will include about 1,200 parking spots.

"IKEA brings not only 250 full-time employees that are probably going to live and eat and play in this area and go do all the things that are exciting to do in our area, but the fact that you add another 500 construction jobs to this project which takes over a year to do is just part of a big puzzle of economic development we've been working on for awhile," said Scaffidi.

The store will also include a 300-seat cafeteria-style restaurant -- and yes, the famous Swedish meatballs will be a featured item.

Below is the official statement from IKEA officials:

Tom Zale, Vice President Northwestern Mutual Real Estate issued the following statement:

The closest IKEA stores right now are in Bolingbrook and Schaumburg, IL; St. Louis, MO; and Bloomington, MN.