Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. has converted an abandoned moving and storage warehouse in Orange, N.J., to self-storage. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Orange at 225 Scotland Road offers storage units as well as moving and packing supplies, truck and trailer rentals, towing equipment, and U-Box portable-storage containers.
The 2-acre property was once home to one of the first Lincoln Mayflower Moving & Storage Co. warehouses, according to a U-Haul press release. Constructed in 1903, the 64,708-square-foot building was renovated to include a retail showroom, U-Box portable storage and climate-controlled self-storage.
"We are done with construction, but we have in mind the possibility of expanding out the back of the building to include more storage and a bigger U-Box warehouse," said Bemilton Suero, general manager.
U-Haul added to the property in November by purchasing a small parcel of abutting land at 476 Codner St., which includes a house. Plans for the space are undecided, though it may be used to provide additional parking and improved store visibility, the release stated.
The company began operation from a trailer at the site in late 2013 while renovations took place. The first storage units were available for rent last April
"Sixty percent of the storage units have been rented in less than a year, and everybody loves this location," said Anthony Paladino, president of the U-Haul Co. of Northern New Jersey.
The opening of the Orange 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.
