Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,300 self-storage locations across North America, is converting a former Kmart store to self-storage in Kahului, Hawaii, the company’s first facility on the island of Maui. The 107,520-square-foot building on the corner of Hana Highway and Dairy Road is currently open with a temporary showroom, offering moving and packing supplies, and truck and trailer rentals. It’ll eventually house more than 1,000 climate-controlled storage units and offer boat storage, hitch installation and propane sales, according to the source. No timeline for project completion was reported.
The Kmart, which operated for 24 years on the 7.3-acre property, closed in June. U-Haul acquired it in October from 424 Dairy Road LLC. “We are excited that we finally have a U-Haul-owned location on Maui,” said Kaleo Alau, president U-Haul Co. of Hawaii, in a press release. “The Kahului community is bursting at the seams. Residents are having a hard time finding available self-storage for their belongings.”
U-Haul has several conversion projects underway, including repurposing former Kmart locations in Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Kahului facility will employ 10 people, according to the release.
“This is a very large property and people were worried it would become an eyesore,” Alau said. “It has served as the meeting place for many community-related benefits, including the farmer’s market and car washes. We hope to continue that tradition. We want our store to be the glue that holds this community together.”
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.
Sources:
- Maui Now: U-Haul Opens First Store on Maui
