Celebrate Swedish Meatball Day with Ottawa University Arizona!
Surprise is welcoming the Honorary Swedish Consul to Arizona, Mikael Örn, to Surprise City Hall for Swedish Meatball Day festivities. In honor of the celebration, Mayor Skip Hall is proclaiming Swedish Meatball Day in the City of Surprise! Learn more at https://SurpriseAZ.gov
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 The West Valley is growing and the residents are hoping to have an IKEA.
00:07 So let's head out to Surprise and see how they are trying to get a IKEA store there for them.
00:13 Janine, how are you doing this morning?
00:15 Good morning, Brad. We're doing great.
00:19 It's Meatball Day in the city of Surprise.
00:21 How can we be sad?
00:22 Right. It's a great day.
00:23 Exactly. I need some of those meatballs to come back to me.
00:25 But let's talk about this because you guys did a study as you guys are growing there
00:31 about, of course, the residents and everything going on there.
00:35 And you guys said, hey, you know what, IKEA, we would be a great city for one of your new locations.
00:40 So let's talk about that.
00:41 That's a great thing to talk about today.
00:46 So IKEA was one of the top picks from our residents.
00:48 Over 5000 people voted.
00:51 We reach out to the residents.
00:52 We want to know what they want and they want IKEA.
00:55 They're hungry.
00:56 They love the meatballs.
00:58 We need a lot of furniture in our city because of all the housing that's popping up.
01:02 So it's a great place to be.
01:03 We're growing one of the top retail centers in the country right on our Loop 303.
01:09 So we've got the place, we've got the people and we're ready to shop.
01:13 Yeah. And what I love, too, is that you've brought in OUAZ, Ottawa University, because a lot of students are growing.
01:20 They have the majors out there to work at the store and everything like that.
01:23 So this is great. You guys were going to get it because this would actually be part of the campus a little bit, too, wouldn't it?
01:27 This is. This is.
01:31 So we're right here at Surprise City Center.
01:34 So this Ottawa campus is shared with our Surprise City Hall and our Recreation Center.
01:38 And it's a place where you can see there's a lot of fun students that want to put some furniture together.
01:44 They love the meatballs and they love the furniture.
01:47 So, yes, we've got this great partnership with Ottawa and we're happy that they're having some fun with us this morning and showing some love for IKEA.
01:55 I love it. OK, so how's this going to work? Are we are we talking to IKEA right now?
01:59 Do we have to get them? What do we need to do for us to get IKEA to say we're coming to Surprise?
02:04 So, I mean, it all starts with a meeting.
02:09 You know what I do for a living as the economic development director, it's all about getting that meeting.
02:14 If I can get that meeting, we can get it to happen.
02:17 So we've we've reached out to them.
02:18 We've had some conversations with their broker in Arizona, but we're ready to ramp it up.
02:24 So I always say economic development is like dating.
02:27 If I can get to dinner, I can get a ring on my finger.
02:30 So that's what's going on. If I can if I can get a date with IKEA, we can we can make it happen.
02:35 I love her. She is.
02:37 You know what? We need you here at the state.
02:38 I love she was awesome. That's great.
02:41 OK, so with a kid coming there, that'd be awesome.
02:44 But it's not just about IKEA.
02:45 You guys are attracting a lot of other businesses, too, aren't you?
02:49 We are, you know, Surprise has really made a concerted effort to be sort of the the lifestyle center of the West Valley.
02:58 So we're right on the loop. Three oh three.
03:00 We've got an amazing new city center campus.
03:02 So we're growing a new downtown with Ottawa University right at the center of it.
03:07 Isn't it fun that we're a college town now?
03:09 So we've got all of these people moving to our community.
03:12 We've got a Costco right on the loop.
03:14 Three oh three. Our northern area is growing.
03:17 We've got two hospitals that have announced.
03:19 So we need lots of things.
03:21 We're hungry, Brad. We need lots of we need restaurants and we need IKEA.
03:25 Yes, we need meatballs. Yes.
03:27 The sweetest meatballs right there.
03:28 I love it that you're having this day.
03:30 And so can people enjoy these with you or is this just going on the campus?
03:34 Because I want some.
03:36 Well, we'll send some back to the studio for you.
03:42 I love it. OK, but we've got to.
03:46 Oh, no, I was going to say, how can people get involved?
03:48 What else do you have going on there?
03:49 We have so much going on today.
03:53 So first of all, I have to tell you, we've got a proclamation of Swedish Meatball Day and Surprise.
03:58 We've got the honorary Swedish consul coming today a little later, but we've got a selfie competition happening.
04:04 So here you can see Ottawa University's mascot, Fang, doing a selfie with Ottawa president Dennis Tyner.
04:10 We're having some fun. We're asking people to do a selfie and hashtag it with, you know, Surprise Loves IKEA.
04:18 But make sure to hashtag and tag IKEA.
04:22 We want them to know that we're sharing the love with them today.
04:24 We're celebrating with them today.
04:26 This is a really important holiday that IKEA came up with.
04:30 I like this. We're honoring them.
04:32 And yeah, I love it.
04:34 OK, this is one thing that I will say you're missing a little bit.
04:36 I think you still have time to do it.
04:38 But I would say a contest on who could put together one of IKEA's either desk or one of their nightstands.
04:50 That would be an awesome time.
04:53 The kids are doing that. Am I right?
04:54 That would be they need lots of furniture.
05:00 We've got a new dorm building under construction.
05:03 So these kids need places to sleep, places to put their coursework, their laptops.
05:09 So this is the perfect market for an IKEA right in the heart of the West Valley's retail corridor.
05:15 I like it. There it is.
05:16 OK, where can people find more information about helping the city of Surprise and OUAZ get that IKEA?
05:22 Make sure to follow us on social media today.
05:27 So you can find us on Surprise Econ Dev or just follow the city of Surprise on Twitter or LinkedIn or Instagram.
05:38 And you'll see lots of information in the feed.
05:41 There's a hashtag Surprise Loves IKEA.
05:43 So we appreciate it if you just have that hashtag.
05:46 Put a fun photo on there and we can share the love with IKEA.
05:49 You got it. Well, thank you very much for joining us this morning.
05:52 And yes, I'll take an order of Swedish meatballs.
05:55 So I love it.
05:58 Coming your way. All right.
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