How important is an Ikea store to Las Vegas? Let’s put it this way: Three years ago, Las Vegas Weekly ran a story, “Missing: What Las Vegas needs,” and the massively popular Swedish furniture store (“Smells like meatballs”!) was featured on our cover, styled as a “Missing” poster on a community bulletin board.

What we said then, “Who wants to invest in expensive furnishing when they can buy affordable and stylish Scandinavian bookcases, sofas and other sleek modular furniture?” is as true today as it was in 2011, and this week our prayers have finally been answered. On Monday the company announced plans to build its 39th store in the U.S. at Sunset Road and Durango Drive, with an opening set for the summer of 2016.

Just think—no more trips to Southern California to get that Stockholm rug or Billy bookcase. And yeah, we’re already drooling over the thought of that first huge helping of meatballs ...