Home furnishings giant submits plans for new location

Ikea is looking to expand in presence in North Carolina.



The retailer said it is submitting plans to the Town of Cary, N.C., for a potential Raleigh-area store, which would be the second Ikea location in the state. The proposed 15-acre site would be located adjacent to the existing Cary Towne Center, approximately 12 miles west of downtown Raleigh and two miles from downtown Cary.



This submittal of a development plan allows Cary to formally consider an Ikea-specific use at the location and begin the town council’s review of the proposal for an approximately 359,000-sq.-ft. store and a two-level parking structure with 1,000 parking spaces. If approved, Ikea Cary store could open as early as summer 2020.



“We are excited about the opportunity for a potential second North Carolina Ikea store at this location in Cary,” said Ikea U.S. president Lars Petersson. “A store in the Raleigh area would complement our strong presence established in Charlotte and eventually provide customers in Central and Eastern North Carolina an Ikea store closer to them.”



After town approval, Ikea will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement the current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations. Other U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material; building with energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, warehouse skylights, and water-conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, and selling only LED lighting. Ikea U.S. has installed electric vehicle charging stations at 16 locations and solar arrays at 90% of its locations in addition to owning two wind farms in the U.S.