The plan for the Swedish furniture giant Ikea to be part of a massive development near Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway is raising concerns of residents. (CBC)

A residents' group from South Tuxedo wants more time to consider the impact of Ikea's arrival in Winnipeg.

The plan calls for the Swedish furniture giant to be part of a larger development near Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

The public will get its first say about the plan at a hearing at city hall next Wednesday, but some residents want more time to consider the impact of the proposed multimillion-dollar development that calls for 1.5-million square feet of retail and office space covering nearly 200 acres.

It would take 12 years to complete the entire development, which will be done in stages, starting next year with the Ikea property.

'We are calling for a delay in the public hearing. They should give us more time to digest this and ask questions to make sure that any development that we get there, [we] get it right.'—Ken Klassen

An open house was held Wednesday night at J.B. Mitchell School where the plans were on display. Several people also signed a petition calling for noise-reduction measures to be put in place between the development and residential neighbourhoods.

"We are calling for a delay in the public hearing. They should give us more time to digest this and ask questions to make sure that any development that we get there, [we] get it right," said Ken Klassen, a spokesperson for the residents' group from River Heights-Fort Garry.

"Quite frankly, we doubt the councillors themselves understand what they are voting for. There has been so little time for people to analyze these hundreds and hundreds of pages of information," he added.

Resident Luc Lewandoski wants an Ikea store in the city and likes the idea of commercial growth if it's well-planned, he told CBC News.

"There are certain areas, and traffic is one of them, where I would rather they put more time in on the traffic planning than they did for the active transit," he said. "I can't imagine that many people are going to the Ikea on their bicycle to pick up a shelf."

Debbie Hurrell, who lives on Kenaston Boulevard, said the big development would be just part of the traffic problem. She also expressed concerns about thousands of homes planned for just beyond the development.

"When Waverley West [suburb] is really fully developed, what's that going to do?" she asked.

The candidates fighting to fill the vacant city council seat in the March 17 byelection in the River Heights-Fort Garry ward, also weighed in on the issue at a debate earlier this week.

'If Manitoba and Winnipeg chase a $400-million project out of town, not only will we never get a development from these people again, nobody will come to Winnipeg.'—Geoff Currier

Geoff Currier said the Ikea development is a great opportunity for the city. He said Winnipeg will suffer serious damage and reduce its chances of attracting other large companies if it blows the deal.

"If Manitoba and Winnipeg chase a $400-million project out of town, not only will we never get a development from these people again, nobody will come to Winnipeg," he said.

But fellow candidate John Orlikow echoed residents' concerns that the city may be moving too fast.

"The drive to make sure this is an economic boom for us is very enticing, but governance requires a sombre second thought," he said.