Dublin IKEA won't open until late 2009

robo

Dublin IKEA won't open until late 2009

SHOPPERS will have to wait another year before home superstore IKEA finally opens its doors in Dublin.

Despite the fact that the building looks like it is finished, opening will come no sooner than the end of 2009.

One of the delays is a condition set by An Bord Pleanala, that improvements must be made to the Ballymun Interchange of the M50 first.

Safety

The planning authority said the planning stipulation is to avoid serious traffic congestion and is in the interest, the convenience and the safety of road users.

However, construction sources have told the Herald that the construction programme at the Ballymount interchange is "progressing quite well, and the interchange could be completed by 2009".

But even if this does happen, consumers may still have to wait a year before it opens its doors.

A spokesperson for IKEA told the Herald: "IKEA are in continued talks with the NRA ... for opening in 2009."

"The store hasn't been finished yet. It may look finished but it's only a shell."

"It is not ready to trade. There's quite a comprehensive fit-out when it comes to the internal make-up of the store."

A spokesperson for the NRA is adamant that it is sticking by its deadline of 2010 for the completion of the interchange.

"That section of the M50 is not going to be completed until the end of 2010."

It is understood that if the NRA tried to bring forward the date of completion with the contractor; it would have a serious cost implication that would be in the millions.

When asked by the Herald if they are in talks with IKEA, he replied "no comment".

Meanwhile, Cllr Ray Corcoran says: "We all want it open for the employment. There's going to be 500 jobs and 250 for the Ballymun area when it comes.

"Unemployment has soared in recent times so I want it opened as soon as possible."

Will it ever open :rolleyes:

The Real B-man

With the euro the way it is probably better off heading up to the belfast one anyway!

robo

The Real B-man wrote: »

With the euro the way it is probably better off heading up to the belfast one anyway!

I was thinking that myself...I will definitely be comparing prices when they do come before buying.

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone or somewhere that is not so far for other counties to travel to. In fairness the one in Dublin is only 2 hours away from the one in Belfast, where as people in Kerry, Cork etc have a long journey up to Dublin.

Polar101

robo wrote: »

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone or somewhere that is not so far for other counties to travel to.

From IKEA's point of view it probably makes a lot more sense to open their first store in the country in Dublin, rather than Westmeath.

SantryRed

They have a sign the length of the building telling people to go to Belfast.:pac:

Bluetonic

robo wrote: »

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone or somewhere that is not so far for other counties to travel to. In fairness the one in Dublin is only 2 hours away from the one in Belfast, where as people in Kerry, Cork etc have a long journey up to Dublin.

The majority of the countries population live in Dublin county and city, then you have the immediate surrounds to consider.

Placing it anywhere else would be idiotic.

lightening

robo wrote: »

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone

Agreed! The new motorway to Athlone is amazing anyway for us Dubs! The outskirts of Athlone would probably handle the traffic a bit better than the poor M50!

Dub13

Is the one in Dublin going to be bigger/smaller than the one in Belfast..?

_blank_

Dub13 wrote: »

Is the one in Dublin going to be bigger/smaller than the one in Belfast..?

It looks huge.

I'd hate to live in Poppintree, facing the building.

Huge

IKEA

sign shining in on you every day and night.

Dub13

I have drove by the front of it a few times and it does not look that big.

robo

From what I remember, they said that the one in Belfast was the size of 5 football pitches! I am not sure if the one in Dublin will be that big, but didn't the government have to change the law so that they could build such a big store.

jdivision

robo wrote: »

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone or somewhere that is not so far for other counties to travel to. In fairness the one in Dublin is only 2 hours away from the one in Belfast, where as people in Kerry, Cork etc have a long journey up to Dublin.

The only place the store could be built was Ballymun. The number of restrictions placed on stores of that size meant that the Ballymun site was literally the only one in the country that qualified.

Malteaser!

Dub13 wrote: »

I have drove by the front of it a few times and it does not look that big.

I agree with ya!

When was it supposed to open??

whosedaddy?

Dub13 wrote: »

Is the one in Dublin going to be bigger/smaller than the one in Belfast..?

about same size (shop floor). Belfast is said to to be around 29,000 sqm and Dublin 30,500 sqm. Dublin will have 2 floors (like Belfast me thinks to remember)

Poxyshamrock

Anyone got pics?

BraziliaNZ

god how horrible will it be when this behemoth opens. I hope they're building a new 12 lane motorway, an underground train system etc to accomodate the 100s of thousands of people who will be going here every day? It's going to be HELL ON EARTH.

Gaspode

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

god how horrible will it be when this behemoth opens. I hope they're building a new 12 lane motorway, an underground train system etc to accomodate the 100s of thousands of people who will be going here every day? It's going to be HELL ON EARTH.

Seriously folks, get a grip.

I've been to the one in belfast a few times, and also to one in Holland (dont ask), and in neither was there any more traffic going in the than into a small to medium sized shopping centre. Blanchardstown SC would easily have 5-10 times more traffic in and out of it on a normal day than either of the ikeas I've visited.

The one in belfast is accessed by a small road off a dual carriageway, and they cope very well. I dont see why Dublin would need several lanes of motorway to service its ikea, that's a ludicrous suggestion!

Dont believe the hype you're hearing, they're just not that big a store.
Big, with lots in them sure, but just not that big.

RaverRo808

Not to be pessimistic,but I think its going to be a diaster,that whole development around there is a complete joke,the nearby retail park Gullivers which has a Home Base,Currys,Pet World,Golf shop,Hickeys etc,is an absolute castrophe,its doing no business,whenever I go up there,its a ghost town,completely dead,even during the busy christmas season its still queit,can see afew closures in the next few years with the economy way it is,Ikea couldnt be arriving at a worse time,and with the other developments around during no business,and aswell as that,why do people care so much about Ikea opening,theres millions of stores and outlets where you can buy a few chairs and a cabinet,big whoop

Daz R1

I agree with "Deswalsh" ,I think its going to be a big white elephant ,was up there recently in Belfast and I remember the hype around the opening of the Belfast one ,so mush so that hardly anyone -relative to what they were expecting- turned up ,and Id say if the Ballymun one opened now it would have a bigger infrastructure in place than the Belfast one ! And is it just the pessimist in me who thinks that IKEA will be jumping on the "lets hike the price up in ROI" band wagon ,It'll prob be better to still go up north to get any item cheaper

johnnyrotten

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Anyone got pics?

http://photos5.pix.ie/77/7C/777CAD2FCF874849A2491F4F8EBE9467-500.jpg

The only one I could find on the net!

lightening

Wow... lots of panicking going on! I am sure it will be fine. I was in the one in Belfast on Saturday. Fantastic furniture, excellently designed at an amazing price. Very well organised, no traffic problems (hundreds of Southern plates in the carpark). Spent feck all, arrived home with a cabinet of certain dimensions I just couldn't get anywhere else along with a car full of household accessories.

whosedaddy?

its not us that are making the hype... its Bord Pleanála and NRA that have all those "concerns" re traffic.... its not that IKEA is causing the upset to the fragile traffic equilibrium - any mid size change in traffic pattern will do that.

The will be a rush at the beginning.. but it will die down pretty quickly me thinks. most of us had the "IKEA experience" by now, and like lightening said, its only a store that sells tables and chairs...

and what better time to open IKEA then in mid recession. nobody has any money, so it should be a quiet opening...

But mind you, i would expect some more businesses relocating in the vacinity of IKEA. to sell the complementing bits (higher quality) items. That has happened with almost all IKEA stores on the continent I know.

Bluetonic

whosedaddy? wrote: »

most of us had the "IKEA experience" by now, and like lightening said, its only a store that sells tables and chairs...

You can be sure the majority of the ROI population have never been next nor near an IKEA.

biko

robo wrote: »

Besides I think that they should have built the store some where central rather than Dublin, like Athlone or somewhere that is not so far for other counties to travel to. In fairness the one in Dublin is only 2 hours away from the one in Belfast, where as people in Kerry, Cork etc have a long journey up to Dublin.

+1000. The people from Dublin would still go either to Athlone or Belfast and other counties didn't have to pass tolls and other crap to get some furniture.

lightening

Bluetonic wrote: »

You can be sure the majority of the ROI population have never been next nor near an IKEA.

Eight of us here in work, seven have been. Most people I know have been to Ikea, some in Scotland before the one in Belfast was built.

Bluetonic

lightening wrote: »

Eight of us here in work, seven have been. Most people I know have been to Ikea, some in Scotland before the one in Belfast was built.

Three of us here, none have been in IKEA. Thats 100% of the people surveyed

Really a minority of ROI people have shopped in IKEA.

whosedaddy?

Bluetonic wrote: »

Three of us here, none have been in IKEA. Thats 100% of the people surveyed

Really a minority of ROI people have shopped in IKEA.

but the majority of non-irish living in ROI probably have... before they moved here..

SO the next question to those that have never been near IKEA, would they rush to go shopping there if it was in Dublin... or just can't wait to have a look immediately after it opened.

that's what the planners want us to believe... hence all this waffle about M50 upgrade, restricted opening hours, etc.

lightening

Bluetonic wrote: »

Three of us here, none have been in IKEA. Thats 100% of the people surveyed

Really a minority of ROI people have shopped in IKEA.

Fair enough, studio full of designers and finished artists here. Maybe the majority of people into good design and well engineered furniture and household products have been!! Well worth it.

I wouldn't panic though, its just a furniture shop, albeit, a furniture shop that sells stuff you simply can't get anywhere else. Whosedaddy, I won't be rushing in, but I will go there when I need something in particular.

lightening

Actually, I don't meant that in a "we are funky cool wanky designers that know better" way... just the people I know would be inclined to go there....

DBCyc

whosedaddy? wrote: »

that's what the planners want us to believe... hence all this waffle about M50 upgrade, restricted opening hours, etc.

I believe that the planners are right to restrict development on to a key road around Dublin which is already congested. Especially to somewhere such as IKEA where everyone will drive to/from as opposed to walking/cycling/public transport (bit difficult with a load of flat-packed furniture )

In planning, I presume IKEA demonstrated that the development can work on the upgraded M50 at certain hours where overall traffic on the road network is reduced e.g. late in the evening. I doubt that they could have argued that it would work before the M50 was upgraded!

hedgeh0g

+ 500 jobs

Re the Indo Today It will open in Summer but is ready to open now.
Its waiting on the NRA to allow it to open when our over priced roads are finished in the area

The head of operations for IKEA ..... "It is unprecedented to have a store that is ready to open standing idle" Only in Ireland

http://www.ikeafans.com/

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/