Synergy Self Storage Completes Facility in Merrimack, NH

Update 3/21/16 – Synergy Self Storage has completed the second phase of its facility in Merrimack, N.H., which first opened in 2014. The company added three floors to its existing building. The climate-controlled facility is now one of the largest in the state, according to the source.

The building comprises 144,000 square feet in 918 units, some of which are exterior-facing, drive-up spaces. The sloping topography of the site allowed for ground-level entry on the first three floors, with access to the upper floors via two elevators, according to Joel Sikkila, a partner. The front of the building includes a three-story glass façade, and the roof incorporates a solar-panel system. The perimeter of the structure is insulated with high-performance, spray polyurethane-foam insulation, the source reported.

Security features include computer-controlled access, motion-sensor lighting and video cameras. The site also contains 23 outdoor vehicle-storage spaces and a retail store that sells moving and packing supplies.

Synergy is one of several storage facilities that has recently opened in Southern New Hampshire following several years of pent-up demand. "Right now, the state is saturated," owner Chris Ross told the source.

Bluebird Self Storage opened a new property last month in Manchester, N.H. It’s the first of three projects the company expects to build in the region this year. Another facility, by real estate investment trust Life Storage Inc., recently opened at 6 Smith Lane in Londonderry, N.H. Real estate developer Montello St. LLC received approval last year to convert the former Nashua Athletic Club in Nashua, N.H., to storage. Also, a proposal for two self-storage buildings on residential property in Bedford, N.H., has been introduced, but town planners have concerns about the project, the source reported.

"I would say New Hampshire is pretty much in equilibrium," Joe Mendola, senior vice president of NAI Norwood Group, a Bedford-based real estate firm, told the source. "I don't think we need any new development. I think we have supplied the New Hampshire market fully."

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4/16/14 – Synergy Self Storage, a two-story facility in Merrimack, N.H., opened the first of two phases on April 1 with nearly 400 climate-controlled units. The second phase, slated to be built next year, will add another 800 units and three more stories. Once completed, the facility will encompass 140,000 square feet of storage space and include a three-story glass façade.

The property at 403 Daniel Webster Highway features all climate-controlled units, some of which are exterior-facing, drive-up spaces. The site’s unique topography made it possible to add ground-level access on three separate floors. Facility amenities include moving and packing supplies, video cameras, motion detectors and electronic gate access.

Although self-storage isn’t new to the area, owner Chris Ross said the facility fills a niche for an unmet need, in particular by providing better climate-controlled spaces. “Our HVAC and dehumidification systems address the three major factors of material degradation to stored items—excessive humidity, airborne pollutants and extreme temperature swings,” he said. “It became apparent to us that while many facilities offered temperature control, the additional investment in dehumidifiers and proper air exchangers was not commonplace. We designed this facility to be able to store our customer’s belongings as we would want our own stored.”

In addition, the perimeter of the building is insulated with high-performance, spray polyurethane-foam insulation, Ross said. Due to the large scope of work and unique nature of the project, information about the use of spray-foam insulation will be included in an article in an upcoming issue of “Spray Foam Insulation & Roofing Magazine,” a trade publication for spray-foam insulation professionals, Ross added.

The self-storage business is the culmination of a decades-long dream for Ross. The project took three years to plan, design, achieve permit approvals and build, he said. “We believe we fill the niche of an unmet need, that of a secure storage location for temperature- and humidity-sensitive items, such as furniture, collectible items and paper-based products.”