Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. has purchased Colonial Self Storage in Smithtown, N.Y. The property at 29 Bellmeade Ave., which has been rebranded as U-Haul Storage at Bellemeade Avenue, was acquired in December and officially opened for business in February.
The two-story, colonial-style building contains 41,000 total square feet of space and offers 300 climate-controlled units, a retail store selling moving and packing supplies, and cargo-van and truck rentals. It also participates in the U-Haul Take a Box, Leave a Box program, which enables customers to use recycled boxes at no charge. Instead of discarding reusable boxes and bins, the company encourages local residents to drop them off at the nearest U-Haul location, allowing other people to use them.
Renovations on the property have thus far included lawn reseeding and the replacement of the site’s 400 lightbulbs, according to a U-Haul press release. "This is a beautiful old building, and we're looking forward to taking it to the next level," said Michael Nadraus, president of U-Haul Co. of Long Island. "The renovations are going to lighten up the facility and provide a really clean, safe and secure place where people can store their belongings at a very affordable price."
Colonial staff members were retained through the change in ownership, according to the release. "I've been at this facility since 2010, and it's been through a great change since U-Haul moved in," said Michelle Miller-Dixon, general manager. "The town's residents have been extremely welcoming of the change. It's been a pleasant experience working for an organization that values its team members."
The acquisition of the Smithtown property was driven by U-Haul’s corporate sustainability initiatives, which support infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, the release stated. U-Haul’s adaptive reuse of existing structures eliminates the amount of energy and resources required for new-construction materials and helps local cities diminish their unwanted inventory of unused buildings, U-Haul officials said.
Established in 1945, U-Haul has more than 44 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,200 owned facilities throughout North America.
