IKEA opens without a hitch

IKEA Centennial’s grand opening followed its own trend, going forward slightly earlier than expected.

The first customers strolled into the store, which wasn’t originally slated to open until the fall, at 8:51 a.m. July 27 — nine minutes ahead of schedule.

More than 1,000 people lined up July 27, in addition to the 100 campers who arrived as early as three days earlier. The line began steadily growing around rush hour the night before, and by the time the doors opened slightly before 9 a.m., it zig-zagged in front of the store, wrapped around the side and extended into the parking garage.

The furniture giant’s Swedish heritage was on display in full force. People wearing traditional Swedish garb — and even Viking helmets and flag capes — appeared throughout the snaking line. A Swedish women’s choir sang their country’s national anthem. Even Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon was in on it, sporting a blue-and-yellow corsage.

“It’s exciting to think of what IKEA will bring to Centennial and the state,” Noon said.

Joining Noon were most of the Centennial city councilmembers, Gov. John Hickenlooper, state Sen. Linda Newell, and state Reps Spencer Swalm and David Balmer. Noon and Hickenlooper spoke during the opening ceremonies, which began shortly before 8:30 a.m.

“This is big time. This is Colorado taking another step,” Hickenlooper said.

Despite concerns over IKEA Centennial disrupting the traffic flow on I-25, the morning rush hour passed smoothly. IKEA, the City of Centennial, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and local fire districts began working together in January to formulate a traffic strategy. The store also secured approximately 1,500 overflow parking spots in addition to its 1,500 dedicated spaces.

Temporary wayfinding signs on I-25, a private parking firm, a police presence and other measures will remain in place at least through the weekend, and longer if the situation warrants. July 28 and 29 aren’t expected to be as hectic as opening day, but the weekend should see another increase in crowds, IKEA officials believe.

Anticipation began growing an hour before the opening when a huge contingent of the store’s more than 400 workers appeared to fire up the crowd. Armed with noise-making thundersticks and an arsenal of cheers, they appeared as excited for the opening as the customers waiting in line.

IKEA U.S. President Mike Ward and IKEA Centennial Store Manager Kelly Frieze also spoke during the pre-opening festivities. As a closing to the ceremony, they joined Hickenlooper and Noon in a traditional Swedish log-sawing, which is meant to bring good luck to a new home and future guests.

IKEA officials also emphasized their community outreach efforts, donating $10,000 each to local charities The Family Tree and Mi Casa Resource Center.

The 415,000-square-foot IKEA Centennial is the furniture company’s 38th U.S. store and 324th in the world. It offers 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model home interiors, 50 room settings, a supervised children’s area, a Swedish food market and a 550-seat restaurant. The store is built on four levels, with two on the bottom for parking and two on top for displaying and housing merchandise.

The groundbreaking occurred in May 2010, bringing the total project completion time to about 15 months.

Until now, the nearest IKEA was in Salt Lake City. City officials hope the store will be a regional attraction, bringing in people from Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and New Mexico.

IKEA Centennial is located west of I-25 in the Park Meadows area, between County Line Road and Dry Creek Road.