Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. is converting a historic baseball park and former restaurant-supply building to a self-storage facility in Toledo, Ohio. U-Haul at Swayne Field, which sits on nearly 5 acres at 3011 Council St., officially opened in September with a temporary showroom. The facility currently offers moving and packing supplies, towing equipment, truck and trailer rentals, and U-Box portable-storage containers, according to a company press release.
Renovations are underway to add a permanent showroom and 700 storage units to the four-story, 155,630-square-foot building. Hitch installation and propane sales will also be available. The showroom is expected to be complete this summer, with the rest to follow in the fall.
The Toledo Mud Hens occupied the site from 1909 to 1955. Starting in 1993, it was home to Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies.
“I'm excited U-Haul is keeping Toledo history alive with the Swayne Field location," said David Vallie, president of the U-Haul Co. of Northwest Ohio. "We look forward to seeing Toledo and the surrounding areas grow as we strive to meet the needs of the residents here."
The opening of the Toledo 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.
