A 27-acre piece of land on the corner of I-35W and North Tarrant Parkway in Fort Worth, intended for an IKEA furniture store, is staying untenanted for now.
The company has reverted their initial decision to open a 289,000-square-foot location in Fort Worth.
“While this is an extremely difficult decision, we will not be moving forward with our plans to build a store in Fort Worth,” IKEA spokesperson Latisha Bracy said in an emailed statement to the Dallas Business Journal.
The Swedish furniture store initially submitted a proposal to the city of Fort Worth back in February 2017. Construction was supposed to begin in spring 2018 for a scheduled summer 2019 opening.
Fort Worth now becomes the latest project the furniture giant has cancelled.
Similar plans for would-be IKEA stores were recently scrapped in Nashville; Glendale, Arizona; and Cary, North Carolina, according to Denver Business Journal.
Citing IKEA Group CEO Jesper Brodin, Bracy said that the company is trying to expand and invest in more urban city centers and e-commerce services, which appeals to consumer accessibility.
The Fort Worth IKEA store was slated to be a part of a $100 million, 478,000-square-foot mixed-use development plan put forward by developer NTP 35 LP, according to Fort Worth City Council.
The council approved the development program agreement last year, which included an incentive of up to $18 million in sales tax rebates to the developer.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support and excitement that our fans have expressed, and we are disappointed that we will not be able to physically join the vibrant community of Fort Worth,” Bracy said.
IKEA has two other North Texas shops in Frisco and Grand Prairie.
