Brooklyn, New York Finally Gets The First IKEA in The CITY!!!!

Locals who feared the arrival of a branch of the Swedish furniture chain have found IKEA to be a largely tolerant neighbor. NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.

Seven weeks before their grand opening, employees in Red Hook, Brooklyn’s IKEA are busy reading directions and assembling furniture.

While the store’s layout is pretty much the same as any other IKEA, the location makes it stand out - it's the first IKEA in New York City and the first on a waterfront – with views of Downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

"It's just the right size. Two, it has that proximity to the population of New York - not just Brooklyn itself but surrounding Brooklyn,” said store manager Mike Baker. “So we think we're dead center in the population that we need to be."

The store sits on 22 acres along the Erie Basin, and more than six of those acres have been turned into a public waterfront esplanade which IKEA included in its designs to help win over the community.

Opponents said the big-box store would ruin the character of the neighborhood and attract more traffic than could be handled.

But Craig Hammerman, the district manager of Community Board 6, said that IKEA has been a good neighbor, listening and addressing concerns.

"There were certain conditions that the community board had imposed on its land use review and IKEA has lived up to all of the conditions," said Hammerman.

IKEA helped pay for turning lanes on Hamilton Avenue to ease the traffic flow in and out of Red Hook. Shuttle buses will pick up customers at nearby subway stations, water taxi service will run to and from Manhattan's Pier 11, two city bus lines are extending their routes to the store and rental Zipcars will be on-site.

IKEA widened and paved the street in front of the store, upsetting some residents who wanted to keep the old stone road that was here. So, designers included the stones in the park landscape. The store also incorporated cranes to preserve the site's maritime history.

And the Swedish company's outreach also extended to its hiring practices - giving local residents first shot at jobs which include full benefits for even part-time employees.

"You watch it come from an empty warehouse into a showcase," said an employee.

"Overall it's a good experience. I'm very excited to see the opening," said another.

IKEA is still hiring – and opponents of the store may learn to embrace it, once it opens June 18.

- Jeanine Ramirez

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