The much-anticipated arrival of an IKEA furniture store at the Walden Galleria took a major step forward Wednesday, when construction began and branded barricades were affixed inside the mall.
"Hej Buffalo! We're moving in," read one sign in partial Swedish and partial English. "Coming this Spring."
The 67,000-square foot store will take over the lower level of the former Sears and Sears Auto Center space, located near the Apple Store. It will be the first IKEA in Western New York, with nearest locations in Syracuse and southern Ontario.
"Seeing the graphics go up makes this feel real now for our shoppers," Alex Corbelli, the mall's marketing director, said in a press release. "With construction officially underway, we are one step closer to bringing IKEA's unique, full-scale experience to Buffalo and the surrounding Western New York region."
The opening is scheduled for Spring 2027.