IKEA, the iconic cheap-chic furniture store, is building what will likely be its second largest U.S. store just north of Dolphin Mall on the east side of the Florida Turnpike, in Sweetwater. The ginormous store will clock in at 417,000 square feet. That's way larger than South Florida's only other IKEA, a 293,000 square foot store in Sunrise, FL, but not quite as large as the U.S.'s largest store in Schaumburg, Illinois, which is 450,000 square feet.
How will they fit so much store on a 14.6 acre site that's actually smaller than the Sunrise spot? Well, it's being built on top of two levels of parking. The store will also feature about 10,000 IKEA products, 50 room settings, 3 model home interiors, and a 500 seat restaurant serving Swedish specialities, like meatballs with lingonberries. Mmm, lingonberries.
· IKEA is Coming to Miami-Dade [Miami Herald]
· New Miami IKEA could be second largest in the US [exMiami]