IKEA in Winnipeg

Winnipeg sofa warehouse stores are just shuddering. This week an all leather sofa was advertised at $499 and a fabric one at $299. IKEA hasn't been planning an opening in Winnipeg because IKEA has NO SOFAS THAT CHEAP!!!!!!
Wpg has the lowest advertised prices in the world. Sofas Made in China sell lower in Wpg than in China!
IKEA is coming here as a last choice, and has taken into account that they do a good business here off thier internet listing.
Their next choice in Manitoba isn't Lockport or Selkirk.
They have good design, good value, and if you know how to screw things together and don't mind buying inexpensive(cheaply made) knock down furniture, then great!
If they bring other customers, currently living out of town, into Winnipeg everyone, every store in Winnipeg will benefit, except that lady living on route 90 who counts how many cars and trucks go by her apartment on Kenaston, and that guy living near the CN rails who is worried that the back up warning beeping noise from trucks will keep him up at night.

I hate that beeping from the back up warning as well. Seems like a legit reason to keep IKEA out of Winnipeg to me.

Isn't the development company fronting the cash for the infrastructure upgrades? To be paid back by the city through tax breaks?

Does the city usually provide the infrastructure for developments?

Yes. Yes.
Yes.

Bring in Ikea. They will be good for Winnipeg. But I'm not as fond of those big box US stores like Maynards or Target that will just take up space and canabalize existing retail.

And for goodness sake, fix the damn traffic plan!! A 9 lane road with a stop light? What kind of a solution is that??

I am all for IKEA coming to Winnipeg. I have no desire to shop there but good for those who do. I wish more companies would open shop here like Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, TJ Maxx etc etc.

What I was referring to in my post about parking lot entrance/exit.
Reduce congestion by putting in multiple entrances/exits surrounding the site.
Nothing directly onto Kenaston, or off of Kenaston.
But Wilkes (which still exists...and runs along the North side of the site, and SLP becomes Wilkes once again just west of it) should have exits onto it, one on the East side which can ONLY exit East onto Kenaston, and two west of that with lights which can go either direction.

3 exits on the south side...east side one can ONLY go west coming out, the other two can have lights allowing exits to either direction.

When construction starts on the south side of Sterling Lyon...the same considerations should be made...perhaps even with an access road feeding from the East side of the lot out to Wilkes.

Perhaps a service road with numerous entrances? Kinda' like at Grant Park SC.

JTF wrote:Perhaps a service road with numerous entrances? Kinda' like at Grant Park SC.

A service road might work...though you still need to "feed" the larger roads...so that really just creates more roadway to service/maintain.

Service roads are absolutely the answer. We need to keep merging traffic onto Kenaston to a minimum. There should be zero new access roads into or out of that complex. Traffic can enter and exit from the west (Perimeter Highway) and through Sterling Lyon Parkway. Do not open Wilkes onto Kenaston.

What about an Eaton's store for downrown wpg?

I don't think a service road would work with the layout of this development, but you need to do something to take the burden off of controlled intersections on Kenaston. The way I drew it up on my blog, Sterling Lyon is sort of used as a service road. You merge onto and off of Kenaston, then access the site from Sterling Lyon.

We'll have to teach Winnipeggers how to merge properly. Heh heh

So where did the CNR intermodal terminal go to???

Symington, I think

FlyingRat wrote:Symington, I think

Yup.

Tommy B over at the Sun really seems to of pissed off Graham at Progressive Winnipeg.

Why would anyone question new retailers coming into Winnipeg?
What are the complaints, if you do not count the too much noise and too much traffic? Is there anything left??
So much fun trying to build a diverse Winnipeg!

Get Ready for IKEA...start studying your Swedish .

NSF(most)W .