Ikea Denver about to get off the ground in style

As every hipster twenty-something in Denver knows, our fair city has been sadly inferior to other mid- to large-sized cities over the years in at least one key area: We lack an IKEA. The Swedish impresario corporation of ready-to-assemble furniture that is both stylish and cheap, IKEA is a destination...

By Jef Otte

January 21, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

As every hipster twenty-something in Denver knows, our fair city has been sadly inferior to other mid- to large-sized cities over the years in at least one key area: We lack an IKEA. The Swedish impresario corporation of ready-to-assemble furniture that is both stylish and cheap, IKEA is a destination store for anyone with a decorative eye who's a little too poor to to afford the good stuff but a little too well off for that Goodwill couch with the cigarette burns in it. But the long wait will soon be over: An IKEA is coming to Colorado, and it's apparently coming with continental flair to spare.

The store, which will occupy a 415,000-square-foot warehouse in Centennial on a 13.5-acre plot of land, is set to open in the fall, but the process of preparing the space for the world's foremost retailer of better-looking-than-shitty furniture is ramping up tomorrow with -- what else? -- helicopters. From 7 to 9 a.m., weather depending, a large helicopter will airlift the stores 25 giant air conditioners to the top of the warehouse. We're guessing it's going to look something like this:

Except for instead of dropping Ernst Blofeld at the end there, it will be an air-conditioning unit.

The site is located on the west side of I-25 near Park Meadows and is accessible from either Dry Creek Road or County Line Road. Oh, and IKEA -- may we request that you have a pleasant...fright?

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.