As the blue walls of an Ikea rise in Red Hook, Brooklynites are still divided over the store, which is set to open six to 12 months from now after years of delay. Critics charge that the Swedish furniture giant’s 346,000-square-foot store is out of context in the neighborhood and may bring traffic congestion to the area; others laud the big-box retailer for creating community employment. Ikea has made no official commitment to set aside a certain number of jobs for locals, but it did give residents a two-week head start to apply and has donated $500,000 to fund a nearby job training center. more [NYDN]