Meatball Time
Ikea assembles early opening date for first San Antonio-area store
It's rare when a major construction project moves faster than planned, but that appears to be happening to the Live Oak Ikea. On August 9, the Swedish purveyor of furniture and meatballs issued a press release detailing the store's latest construction news — and an updated opening date.
The massive 289,000-square-foot store is currently underway on a 31-acre lot on the corner of Interstate 35 and Loop 604. Ikea's Live Oak location, which sits about 15 miles from San Antonio's city center, will be the first-ever near Alamo City.
Though previously the company said it planned to open the store in summer 2019, with the steel framing complete and "iconic" blue walls currently being built, Ikea Live Oak is now slated to open in the first quarter of 2019, months earlier than expected.
"Installation of blue panels at the future Ikea Live Oak marks a critical milestone for our construction plans and brings us a step closer to our store opening next winter,” said Lars Petersson, Ikea U.S. president, in a release. “We cannot wait to bring customers in the San Antonio area the unique Ikea shopping experience and will begin to transform the interior space over the next few months.”
Customers can expect a similar shopping experience at Ikea Live Oak as the brand's other stores. More than 10,000 "exclusively designed" items will be on display in special inspirational room settings across the massive showroom. The store will also feature a supervised children's play area and, of course, Ikea's famous restaurant.
Ikea broke ground on the project in spring 2018. Once open, it will be the retailer's fifth location in Texas. It currently has shops in Frisco, Grand Prairie, Houston, and Round Rock.