Automated Self Storage Systems LLC will unveil the first fully automated self-storage facility in Coconut Creek, Fla., on April 23. The 145,654-square-foot facility uses Westfalia Technologies' Automated Storage and Retrieval System. Previously used in industrial warehouse and manufacturing plants, the technology marks a new era in the self-storage industry.
Operating under the name Safe & Secure Automated Self Storage, the new facility provides direct access to their individual units using a patented retrieval machine. When he first arrives at the facility, a customer enters a PIN to access a secure loading area, where he drives up to one of several loading doors. There, he re-enters his PIN, and his storage unit is delivered to him.
The building will accommodate approximately 539 storage pallets containing about 1,000 self-storage units. Each pallet will have standard dimensions of 10-by-20-by-8 feet and a weight capacity of 16,000 pounds. Designated units will be available for cars and RVs.
With the new system, facility owners can increase their net rentable area up to 25 percent and lower operating costs by as much as 50 percent, according to Paul Talley, vice president of Automated Self Storage Systems. The average rental price is approximately $2.10 per square foot.
The facility is built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) specifications and includes numerous energy-efficient features. For example, the building requires no interior lighting. It also incorporates pressurization to reduce dust and pollutants, and a unique design to minimize energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.
In the event of a hurricane or power failure, the facility is equipped with a back-up generator that will prevent shut-down. Technical and maintenance support is available 24 hour a day.
A grand opening of the facility will take place on April 23 at 11 a.m., with a ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Guests will get the opportunity to tour the facility and see the technology firsthand.
Automated Self Storage Systems and Safe & Secure Automated Self Storage are subsidiaries of The Pugliese Co., a real estate acquisition, sales and development company. The company’s portfolio includes other "green" businesses including Green Sky Recycling and Destiny, Fla., soon to be America's first eco-sustainable city.
Safe & Secure Self Storage, headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla., has developed, constructed, managed and operated self-storage facilities throughout South Florida and New Jersey for more than 15 years. Safe & Secure Automated Self Storage will serve as a prototype for facilities. RoboVault of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., expected to open in June, will feature the same technology and specialize in storing high-value possessions.
Westfalia provides logistics software and materials-handling equipment for plants, warehouses and distribution centers.
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