The IKEA corporation last week filed papers with the city to build a brand new, two-story store on the site of its current Renton store. The current store will be demolished when construction is complete.

The new store will be built in part of the current parking area, with the older store ultimately being demolished to allow for more parking.  Until the new, updated store opens, customers can continue to shop at the existing Renton store. IKEA is shooting for fall 2016 as an opening date.

The 398,000-square-foot current store was built in 1994. It was the first U.S. franchise for the Swedish retailer and is located on 29 acres in Renton’s southern, industrial and commercial section.

Built in 1979, the original, single-level structure previously had been utilized as a warehouse for aerospace electronics until IKEA converted it to be a retail store in October 1994. The proposed 399,000-square-foot new Renton store would consist of two levels, provide nearly 1,700 parking spaces, offer what IKEA calls a “more current layout” and reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide.

“With the store’s success and high awareness among consumers, we are excited for the chance to build a new IKEA store from the ground-up, adjacent to the current store and on land we already own,” said IKEA U.S. CFO Rob Olson in a press release. “A new store at this same location would allow coworkers to offer customers an updated and enhanced shopping experience.”

“IKEA has been a wonderful corporate partner since the day they opened their doors here,” said Renton Mayor Denis Law.  “It’s exciting to see that hundreds of national and regional chains and independent local businesses are calling Renton home,”

A new, more spacious Seattle-area IKEA store would feature the full assortment of nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a larger restaurant for serving Swedish specialties. Other family-friendly features include a “Children’s IKEA” area in the showroom, baby care rooms, play areas throughout the store, and preferred parking.

Along with being a major contributor to the city’s tax base, IKEA has been a community partner with the city since it opened.

IKEA has sponsored Renton River Days for the past 16 years, donated $500,000 to the Performing Arts Center and made significant contributions to Communities In Schools of Renton, Vision House and several other local organizations.

“There is no way we can appropriately thank IKEA for all they’ve done for Renton and our region,” said Mayor Law, who noted that IKEA received the Washington State “Corporations for Communities Award,” which honors exceptional businesses that make it a priority to help the community.