U-Haul International Inc. has purchased a former Dr. Pepper bottling plant in Lafayette, La., and will convert the 71,045-square-foot, steel-frame building into a self-storage facility. Once known as the Acadiana Bottling Plant, the building is on 2.5 acres at 700 Kaliste Saloom Road. It will be rebranded as U-Haul Moving and Storage at Kaliste Saloom.
The conversion project is part of U-Hauls corporate sustainability initiative, which supports infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint, company officials said in a press release. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the need for new construction materials and helps cities fill abandoned buildings, U-Haul said.
[We] can take a building that was for many years a Dr. Pepper bottling plant and reuse the location to better serve our customers," said Warren Iles, president of U-Haul Co. of Northern Louisiana. "It's better for our customers, our community and the environment."
Services are expected to include climate-controlled units, boat/RV storage, portable storage, moving truck and trailer rentals, propane sales, and vehicle hitch sales and installations, Iles said.
Established in 1945, U-Haul has more than 40 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,000 owned and managed facilities throughout North America.
