IKEA on Wednesday began the main construction works on a store in Zagreb due to open in the summer of 2014, the IKEA Hrvatska company said.
The works are being carried out by the STRABAG company, which landed the HRK 165 million job at an international tender.
The store will extend on 38,000 square metres and initially employ 300 people.
Preliminary construction works, worth more than HRK 14 million, were carried out by the Zagorje Gradnja and Kamgrad companies.
The Bauer Spezialtiefbau is also involved in the construction, doing works worth HRK 25 million, as is the Tehnika company, whose contract is worth HRK 25.5 million.
IKEA is co-financing with HRK 100 million the construction of a new road hub and access roads as well as other infrastructure projects near the store.
"The opening of the first IKEA store in Croatia is within sight," said regional director for real estate and development Vladislav Lalic, recalling that the land was bought five years ago and that the store would be 16 km from downtown Zagreb.
He said IKEA's total investment in Croatia would exceed EUR 100 million.
