Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,300 self-storage locations across North America, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 1 to celebrate the addition of 667 self-storage units to U-Haul Moving & Storage of North Anchorage in Alaska. Free to the public, the event will include property tours, food and children’s activities. It’ll take place noon to 3 p.m.
The facility at 5700 Boundary Ave. is on the site of the former E.A. Patson Parts & Equipment store, which supplied surplus military equipment, vehicles and parts. It’s also near the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military facility.
Since acquiring the 5-acre property in 2013, U-Haul has operated out of a temporary showroom, offering moving and packing supplies as well as truck and trailer rentals. Following the acquisition, it took the company a year to remove 23 tons of metal and old equipment from the site. The new, three-story building was finished in 2015, and the first units were available for rent in early 2016. The facility wasn’t fully complete until recently, according to a press release.
The resulting 75,687-square-foot structure contains 55,550 net rentable square feet of storage space. Property features include 24-hour access, temperature-controlled units and covered loading/unloading areas. It also offers propane sales, hitch installation and U-Box portable-storage containers. Covered vehicle-storage spaces will soon be added, the release stated.
U-Haul preserved several U.S. military relics and other 1940s memorabilia for display in the facility’s showroom. The items include a standard-issue World War II helmet and pieces of a Willys MB U.S. Army jeep.
U-Haul opened its first facility in the state at 4751 Old Seward Highway in 1982. Today, the site’s 434 units are nearly full, said John Norris, president of the U-Haul Co. of Alaska. "The Old Seward store is one of our busiest for transactions in the northwestern United States. We expanded to meet public demand,” he said. “It's convenient to have the Boundary Avenue store so customers don't have to spend their hard-earned dollars driving across town for U-Haul equipment and self-storage."
Established in 1945, U-Haul owns more than 44 million square feet of storage space. The company’s corporate sustainability initiatives, which support infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, has led to dozens of conversion projects in recent years.
