Simply Self Storage (SSS) is eyeing a former school in Lindenhurst, N.Y., for a conversion project but could face opposition from residents. The storage operator received mixed reactions from residents last week when it unveiled its plans for the shuttered Edward W. Bower Elementary School, according to the source.
The Lindenhurst Union Free School District has received four offers from developers for repurposing the school, which closed in 2011 due to the building’s age and declining enrollment, according to a source. The offers range from $5 million to $6 million and include proposals for senior-living condos and a daycare center. The district pays about $100,000 annually to maintain the property.
SSS has proposed an offer of $5 million to purchase the 2.5-acre site. The development would include demolishing the existing structure and building a three-story, 200,000-square-foot storage facility, a source reported. The storage operator said it will give the school’s 1.5 acres of fields back to the city if it can build a multi-story facility, or .75 acres if it builds a single-story site.
“We tried to be similar to what you’re used to. We want to be a part of the community,” John Hirschfeld, district manager for SSS, told board members.
Residents are concerned the storage operator won’t be able to get the proper approvals from the city to build the facility, a source reported. Another issue is whether two-way streets will need to be built and who would be responsible for paying for them.
District board members are expected to vote on the school’s fate on Oct. 28.
Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., SSS owns or manages 175 self-storage facilities comprising more than 13 million square feet of storage space in 18 states and Puerto Rico. Founded in 2003 by Kurt O’Brien, the company ranked No. 7 on the 2015 Inside Self-Storage Top-Operators List.
