Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. has purchased a three-story building that abuts its facility in Middletown, N.Y., and is renovating it to expand its self-storage offerings. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Silver Lake at 381 Route 211 has offered moving and packing supplies as well as truck and trailer rentals since it opened in 1986. The acquisition of the 1.93-acre property on Neely Street enabled the company to expand its services to include 329 storage units, hitch installation and U-Box portable-storage containers.
“The abutting property had become overgrown and unappealing after sitting vacant for so many years. The site was being used for illegal dumping,” said Patrick Keefe, president of the U-Haul Co. of Lower Hudson Valley. "Reusing a piece of property that was once in disarray while being able to expand our product and service line is very exciting. The entire process has brought me closer to the residents of Middletown, and we've had such a great response from the community."
The opening of the Middletown property was driven by U-Haul’s corporate sustainability initiatives, which support infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, according to a company press release. 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.
