Sohier Road Self Storage LLC is seeking approval to convert a roller-skating rink and indoor soccer field to self-storage in Beverly, Mass. Developer Eric Loiacano has applied for a special permit and site-plan review for the property at 130 Sohier Road, which currently houses Roller Palace & Soccer Etc. The venue will remain open until Loiacano secures permits from the city, said Ken Breen, whose father, Robert, purchased the property in 1979, according to the source.
The plans include transforming the single-story, 56,147-square-foot building into two stories comprising 118,953 square feet of storage space. A second 12,000-square-foot structure would be built alongside the main building. The property would contain 900 units and a 4,000-square-foot office. Loiacano has requested a reduction in the number of required parking spaces from 55 to 35.
The site is zoned for industrial use. “If you're going to have this type of industrial use, this is the district to have it in,” said Aaron Clausen, city planning director.
The Breen Family is approached by potential buyers several times a year, Breen said. The storage proposal came about a year after a Texas-based company withdrew its plans to transform the property into a short-term rehabilitation facility, the source reported.
Although the thought of selling the venue is “bittersweet,” Breen said his family is willing if the offer is right. “It's a solid offer but we’ve been through this before,” he said. “We run our operation like there's nothing on the table because this could be another year or two; it could be less before it actually changes hands.”
Sohier Road Self Storage is based in Gloucester, Mass.
Source:
The Salem News, Plan Could Turn Roller Palace Into Self-Storage
