IKEA plan gets mixed reviews

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This article was published 12/03/2009 (6093 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

And the verdict is… don’t know.

People had a variety of opinions after having their first glimpse of IKEA-anchored development plans, at an open house at J.B. Mitchell School last night.

Darlene Delavau was excited about the plans. "I’ve been to many IKEA stores. They’re huge. They’re beautiful," she said.

She only hopes something is done to help seniors get around the store, which will be up to three times the size of a Wal-Mart. She suggested IKEA might supply motorized scooters for seniors, and maybe assist them in getting to and from their cars.

"They have to take into consideration the fact the population is aging," she said.

"All I can say is it’s good for the economy," said Helen Sklavenitis, of the store that will be at the corner of Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

"If we didn’t have this, we’d have to go to Edmonton or Toronto (for IKEA furniture). So this saves us a lot of money."

Bob Frost saw it differently. "It’s an insult to injury with all these big box stores," muttered Frost, holding the Wednesday Free Press section that had the development diagram on front.

Frost doesn’t want to see another retail development that increases dependence on motor vehicles and increases our "carbon footprint." IKEA is just one of several new big box stores that will be part of the development, called the Tuxedo Yards Redevelopment.

"It’s hard to see all this gumbo turned for just another box store," he said.

Bike paths are planned all around the development but it’s still a jaunt to get there, and there will be only one bus route to the shopping centre.

Many people in attendance had neighbourhood concerns. Debbie Hurrell said she was ecstatic to learn IKEA was coming to Winnipeg–until she heard it would be on Kenaston where she lives.

"I love IKEA but I’m worried about the traffic," she said. "Kenaston is already nuts with traffic."

Frank and Leanne Maclean only learned on March 5 that the proposal would see big box stores, other than IKEA, located just across the CN Rail tracks from their house.

They believe the rear of those buildings will act like a wall that ricochets train noise back at them.

They’re also worried about noise like that from building air conditioning, refrigeration, and trucks loading and unloading all night with their backup signals beeping.

Ken Klassen, an urban activist, said the IKEA store is "the Trojan Horse" to get the other retail development approved.

IKEA only makes up 20-25 per cent of the 1.5 million square feet of retail space being proposed. The largest retail centre in North America, Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is 2.5 million square feet.

Klassen accused the city of trying to rush the plan through before people can study it. The formal public hearing is March 18 at city hall.

"In Winnipeg, because we’re so desperate for development, we always rush the process," he said.

Meanwhile, Stefanie Fry, 18, seemed a bit young to be at the Open House but she’s excited about the furniture store coming, too. That seems part of the IKEA mystique.

Stefanie has already purchased a desk from IKEA, and said her sister up north in Gillam ordered lots of IKEA furniture by mail order.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca

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