Ikea breaks ground in Colorado

CENTENNIAL, Colo. Ikea announced that it has broken ground for its future Denver-area store in Centennial, Colo., which is set to open in the fall of 2011.

The 415,000-square-foot Ikea Centennial will be built on 13.5 acres along the western side of Interstate 25, north of the Park Meadows area, accessible from connections to Dry Creek Road and County Line Road exits. When it opens, the store will employ approximately 400 coworkers and reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide.

The company reported that the Colorado store will be the first Ikea store in the United States to incorporate a geothermal component as part of its heating/cooling system, meaning heat will be pumped either from or into the ground, depending on the weather.

“This location will help us to bring our unique family-friendly shopping experience closer to more than 47,000 Ikea customers in Colorado, and to attract new customers from along the Front Range and beyond who value good design, good function and affordable prices,” said Mike Ward, Ikea U.S. president.