Exactly 40 years ago, the strangely named and incredibly large home furnishings store Ikea opened in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.
This year, Ikea will open its 53rd US store at Pyramid Management Group’s Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York, some 300 miles away from its nearest sister location in Stoughton, Massachusetts – and Pyramid CEO Stephen Congel couldn’t be happier.
“We’re absolutely thrilled!” Congel emoted. “Welcoming this iconic, globally loved brand is one of the most exciting moments in our company’s history.”
According to Pyramid, Ikea decided on Destiny USA – one of the 10 largest malls in the nation – because of the centre’s exceptional accessibility, high traffic and powerful regional draw. It sits at the crossroads of I-81 and I-90 (the New York State Thruway), about halfway between Albany and Buffalo in the heart of the Upstate region.
“Bringing Ikea to Destiny USA is an exciting opportunity for the city of Syracuse and the region,” said Syracuse mayor Ben Walsh. “It signals continued investment in Destiny and aligns with our revitalisation efforts in the Inner Harbor and Lakefront neighbourhood. Ikea will attract visitors from all over the region, driving new business to the city and providing access to quality, affordable home furnishings right here in our community.”
Likely contributing to Ikea’s choice of Syracuse is another, much larger, tenant about to land in town. Later this year, Micron Technology will break ground on what it promises to be America’s largest chip-making plant in Syracuse.
