Greenville IKEA Plans Stall Over Traffic

Plans for South Carolina’s first IKEA, a small-format store proposed for Greenville’s Magnolia Park, are stalled by a dispute over traffic on congested Woodruff Road. A traffic study called for widening the shopping center’s driveway and adding dedicated left-turn, through and right-turn lanes, which the city says must be completed before the store opens for safety reasons. Magnolia Park says the estimated 12- to 15-month construction timeline threatens the project and offered a $1.5 million bond to begin renovations while completing the roadwork later; city officials say the code does not allow that arrangement. On Oct. 8, Greenville’s Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the shopping center’s effort to fast-track the project, leaving the store’s prospects uncertain as lease deadlines loom.