IKEA Centennial is opening several months earlier than anticipated, and store officials and the City of Centennial are gearing up for the highly anticipated July 27 launch.

The massive 415,000-square-foot store was originally set for opening in the fall. Cooperative weather and smooth relationships with the city and work crews allowed the date to be moved up.

“Winter never really came,” IKEA spokesperson Joseph Roth said.

The facility will celebrate the one-year anniversary of its groundbreaking in early May, meaning by the time it’s completed the total construction time will be about 15 months.

Between now and July, IKEA Centennial will hire approximately 400 workers. The company has already begun training 55 new managers from the local market, Roth said. Available part-time positions include sales associate, customer service representative, cashier, warehouse worker, stock person and food service specialist.

All job applications must be completed online at www.IKEA-USA.com.

The City of Centennial has also started planning for the potentially chaotic grand opening. IKEA enthusiasts are expected to line up 48 hours before the doors open at 9 a.m. July 27. At past store openings, a community of hundreds of people usually forms as fans camp out and celebrate.

“Being in the summertime, it bodes for a fairly impressive showing,” Roth said.

The city is partnering with local law enforcement agencies and other groups to ensure the event runs as smoothly as possible.

“It’s going to be a fun time, something to look forward to,” Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon said.

The grand opening will include a formal ceremony with a flag raising, Roth said. IKEA plans to hand out prizes to the first hundred people in line.

The store will be Colorado’s first and the 38th in the United States. It will offer 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model home interiors, 50 room settings, supervised children’s areas, a Swedish food market and a 550-seat restaurant. It’s built on four levels, two on the bottom for parking and two on top for displaying merchandise. 

The average IKEA customer in the U.S. spends two to three hours in the store per visit, Roth said.

IKEA Centennial sits on 13.5 acres on the western side of Interstate 25 near Park Meadows Mall. The store will feature rooftop solar panels and a geothermal component for its heating and cooling system. 

City officials believe the store will serve as a regional attraction, bringing in visitors from Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico. The nearest existing IKEA store is outside of Salt Lake City. IKEA Centennial’s location directly off of Interstate 25 also should attract customers simply driving by, city officials believe.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” Noon said. “If (visitors are) from a surrounding state, I’m sure they’ll make sure they stop.”