Update 6/6/18 – The conversion of the former E.C. Pigments mill is expected to be complete next month. A new roof is in place, and fresh doors and windows have been added on the first floor. Some of the interior is complete as well, according to the source. The renovated space will contain 125 units. It’ll be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Storage and branded under its name, according to the source.
Another company is now aiming to bring more storage to the area. The owners of Tower Mill Outlets are looking to add self-storage to their property at 657 Quarry St. The building occupies a full block, containing office space and retail shops.
“We are planning a small project at the rear of the mill,” said Tower Mill trustee Paul Hartel. “A lot of our tenants are keen for a place to store things. We thought this would help them out.”
Although company officials discussed a variety of options for the space, storage made the most sense, Hartel said. “We feel it would be a good use of that space. I think the dynamics of the city are ripe for more storage.”
The city’s conservation commission is expected to consider the Tower Mill project this week. If approved, the storage units could be available by the end of the year.
“We’ve owned the mill for 10 years. We love Fall River, and we love this project,” Hartel said. “We are in great shape there. We spent a lot of money over the years upgrading the facility. We are bursting at the seams and we are looking to grow.”
7/27/16 – After a short delay due to demolition work, real estate developer Dennis Wood has started construction to convert his Fall River granite mill to self-storage. Initial preparation for the development required more work than anticipated, which will delay the opening of the 127,000-square-foot facility until next spring, Wood told the source.
“We are putting a new roof on it now. If everything goes right, we’ll have a 250-kilowatt solar array on the roof,” Wood said, adding that the solar system should be enough to handle the electricity needs of the facility and provide a surplus he can sell to the grid.
When complete, the facility will include 1,225 climate-controlled units.
3/21/16 – Real estate developer Dennis Wood has purchased a former mill in Fall River, Mass., which he plans to convert to self-storage. Wood purchased the property at 749 Quequechan St. for $930,000. Construction will begin in June, and the facility is slated to open in the fall, according to the source.
“I’m always looking for sites. I saw this building directly across from a Super Walmart,” he told the source. “You have a lot of apartment users and people with small residences, who have limited storage. We think there will be a good market for this.”
The existing three-story granite building comprises 178,000 square feet of space. Following the retrofit, it will offer 130,000 square feet of climate-controlled self-storage, Woods said. The facility will have an elevator and covered loading dock.
The mill formerly housed E.C. Pigments USA Inc. until it closed three years ago. Originally founded as Roma Color, the company moved into the building 40 years ago to produce organic pigments for ink, paints and plastics, according to the source.
Wood, who lives in Haskill, Okla., is a developer and real estate manager. He owns properties around the country, including a self-storage facility in Victorville, Calif., also near a Super Walmart.
“It was a very successful project. Anything near a Super Walmart really does well because of the traffic they bring in,” Wood said.
Sources:
The Herald News, Pair of Storage Facilities Planned for Flint Neighborhood
Fall River, Developers Buy Two Fall River Mills
The Herald News, Construction Starting on New Self-Storage Facility Near Fall River Walmart
