Representatives of the company tell GlobeSt.com that the company's interest in other locations does not mean plans are on hold with its 250,000-sf store in Somerville. "We always thought of Massachusetts as a two to three store market," Paul Jean, a spokesperson for IKEA tells GlobeSt.com. "We're still convinced we'll get something in Somerville, but when we started we thought it would be our first New England store." Jean notes that the location IKEA is interested in is right off Route 24.
IKEA bought the Somerville location about four years ago and its project has undergone numerous changes at the request of the city and Mystic View, a local activist group. The city has approved the company's project, but Mystic View has tied up the project with a lawsuit. Most recently, an attempt at mediation failed.
Joseph Roth, another spokesperson for IKEA, tells GlobeSt.com that the company wants a store in the state sooner rather than later. He would not be specific about the location, but emphasizes that this area is a perfect complement to the Somerville site.
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