New IKEA Presence on Market Street Finally Underway

The delayed construction of a new IKEA retail presence on Market Street in San Francisco is finally underway, despite the COVID-induced pause on construction.

IKEA is kicking the project up a notch, with the intention of creating an “Ikea-anchored meeting place” that will provide leasable space for other tenants (a.k.a., a mall). The “mall” is on Market, between Fifth and Sixth streets, according to prior reporting from September 2020.

This Bay Area project differs from the nearby IKEA mega-store in Emeryville, across the Bay Bridge, as the newer build-out is being designed by IKEA’s specialized mall division Ingka Centres. 

The San Francisco location will be “a unique concept that will be a mix of retail offer, office space, food & beverage, entertainment and digital experiences,” according to a news release.

A similar IKEA “meeting place” concept recently opened in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, China. That project is providing work for 3,000 employees, according to Ingka Centres.