Live Oak Ikea store is finally opening

After all the hype, Ikea’s store in Live Oak is opening today.

The Swedish furniture giant’s 289,000-square-foot colossus near Interstate 35 and Loop 1604 opens at 9 a.m., though eager shoppers can start lining up as early as 5 a.m. Ikea will stage an opening ceremony and provide entertainment and giveaways before 9 a.m.

“We look forward to greeting all of our Ikea customers and fans from Live Oak and the San Antonio-area,” store manager Diedre Goodchild said.

City officials and police put out several videos via Live Oak’s Facebook page in recent weeks highlighting traffic signage, directions and access points for the opening.

Police will direct traffic, Goodchild said. If the Ikea parking lot fills up, customers can park at Rolling Oaks Mall between the Macy’s and Dillard’s department stores, and take a shuttle to the location.

Live Oak City Manager Scott Wayman said Ikea estimates as many as 26,000 people could show up on opening day. He’s expecting visitors from San Antonio and other nearby cities and as far away as northern Mexico.

Ikea announced its plans for the location, its fifth in Texas, in 2016. The store anchors a new shopping hub called Live Oak Town Center, with another 500,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and other commercial operations. Weitzman, a Dallas commercial real-estate firm, is developing the mixed-use project.

The Ikea location will feature 10,000 products and 40 room displays, along with a restaurant, bistro and Swedish food market.