The U.S. branch of Swedish furniture retailer IKEA announced Tuesday its plans to relocate its Bolingbrook store to a smaller location at Westridge Court and Block 59 in Naperville.
New Block 59 location to be a small-format store
The company says the downsized location will be a ‘small format store’ in a growing population center while still being close by for its existing customers.
Rich Dippolito, the vice president of Brixmor Property Group, which owns and develops Westridge Court and Block 59, touted the announcement as a sign of the strength of their development.
“Westridge Court and Block 59 attract nearly 7 million visits annually, and we are continuing that momentum with a second phase of development that includes two new restaurant buildings totaling 22,000 square feet,” said Dippolito in a news release.
A site plan by Brixmor shows the Block 59 location will be 97,079 square feet, moving into the area formerly occupied by Going, Going, Gone, Discovery Clothing Co. and Ulta Beauty. Those three businesses have shifted locations to accommodate the new IKEA.
Part of a new business plan for IKEA
This new location is part of the company’s larger effort to open nine 9 new ‘small format’ stores announced in August of this year.
The new stores are one tenth the size of traditional IKEA locations, are designed to be more efficient, and carry a ‘curated’ product range. The new Naperville location will also have IKEA’s iconic Swedish Food Market and Swedish Deli.
The company said its Bolingbrook store will remain open until late 2027, which is when the Block 59 location is slated to open.
In the press release, IKEA noted that its Schaumburg location, which offers its full line of products, is 30 minutes away from the new limited-offering store in Naperville.
City reacts to IKEA announcement
Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli welcomed IKEA to the community in a news release from Brixmor, and said he is excited about the benefits the new location will bring.
“Most importantly, it benefits our residents. The sales tax revenue IKEA generates will help fund city services and ease the burden on property taxpayers,” said Mayor Wehrli, “building on that foundation of past economic wins, and through our partnership with Brixmor, we’ve brought a global home furnishings brand to a redevelopment that has become one of our city’s favorite gathering places.”
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