— After months of rumors, home furnishing retailer IKEA announced on Thursday its plan to open a location in Cary.

The proposed 15-acre site would be located near Interstate 40 and Cary Towne Boulevard, adjacent to Cary Towne Center. If approved, it would be the second IKEA location in North Carolina.

The proposal is for a 359,000-square-foot store and a two-level parking structure with 1,000 parking spaces. It could open as early as summer 2020.

“We are excited about the opportunity for a potential second North Carolina IKEA store at this location in Cary,” IKEA U.S. President Lars Petersson said in a news release. “A store in the Raleigh area would complement our strong presence established in Charlotte and eventually provide customers in Central and Eastern North Carolina an IKEA store closer to them.”

The Swedish company said the new store could bring 500 jobs created during construction, and approximately 300 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens.

Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said he is excited about the announcement, but he doesn't yet know the details of the plan.

"Cary is very excited to hear of the IKEA proposal on the mall site," Weinbrecht said in a statement. "The redevelopment of the mall site has drawn a lot of attention from citizens, staff, and council over the months and years and has been a priority. It was a significant part of our Eastern Cary Gateway special area plan which was approved last year. While I can’t speak to any specifics of the IKEA proposal, since I don’t have a copy of the plan, I can say that it’s very exciting to see real interest in revitalizing this part of Cary, and I look forward to joining our citizens in learning about the proposal’s details."

Dan Frantz, a Cary council member echoed those sentiments.

"IKEA will not only serve as a catalyst for redevelopment and reinvestment at the Cary Town Center mall site, but the surrounding community as a whole. This is huge for Cary," he said.