Update 3/12/13 – Space Station Self Storage has expanded its facility in Solihull, England, which opened in August. The property’s second phase added 24,000 square feet in 270 units, plus flexible office space. Both phases were built by local companies.
9/24/20 – Yorktown, N.Y., officials plan to amend the town’s zoning code to allow the conversion of a former Toys R Us to self-storage. Once complete, the facility will be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust CubeSmart and branded under its name.
During a Sept. 8 work session, Yorktown Planning Director John Tegeder said self-storage is evolving, so the code should as well. “The product, in terms of how the buildings are constructed, has evolved from what we used to expect to much more well-designed and interior loaded self-storage facilities.”
Councilmember Alice Roker noted the zoning should accommodate the benefits self-storage has to offer. Councilmember Vishnu Patel claimed the business would be a “nice addition to the town.”
A draft of the text amendment was presented to the town board on Tuesday. It’ll be sent to other town boards for comment and be followed by a public hearing.
8/27/20 – The global self-storage development pipeline continues to be extremely dynamic. Inside Self-Storage regularly covers new projects being planned and approved as well as zoning and other municipal issues. Following is additional activity taking place in August 2020.
Armor Storage LLC opened a new location in Port Angeles, Wash. The facility at 260 N. Lees Creek Road comprises 31,050 square feet in 262 units. It was designed by Glenn C Wells A.I.A. and built by Corstone Contractors LLC. It’ll be managed by WCSSG. Family-owned, Armor owns three self-storage facilities in the Port Angeles area.
Brookwood Properties LLC, which operates 52 self-storage locations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, opened a new site in Slidell, La. The three-story facility at 1540 Lindberg Drive comprises 118,340 square feet in 920 climate-controlled units. It’ll be managed by Life Storage. Rosehill Construction LLC was the general contractor. Kaufman Design Group was the architect. Brookwood opened six facilities in Louisiana in the last year and has additional projects underway.
DealPoint Merrill LLC opened its conversion project in Tulsa, Okla. The facility at 119 W. 1st St. comprises 144,000 square feet in 1,045 units. DealPoint purchased the former Tulsa World Warehouse in June 2019. The property will be managed by Life Storage and branded under its name. DealPoint owns and operates shopping centers and malls, self-storage, and multi-family dwellings.
GHK Developments Inc. is converting a former Fred's Super Dollar store in Jackson, Miss. Expected to be complete in April, the building at 6240 Old Canton Road will comprise 140,000 square feet. A three-story building will be constructed in front of the existing structure, according to Jimmy Johner, project manager for Wimco Corp., the general contractor. Founded in 1989 and based in New Orleans, GHK is a commercial real estate developer that provides construction management, entitlements and site-selection services.
Development firm Hutton Build presented an updated proposal for a three-story self-storage facility to the Southern Pines, N.C., Council. The rezoning request was submitted by LKC Engineering on behalf of the developer. Plans for the 2.54-acre parcel on Brucewood Road were modified after town officials expressed concerns about traffic safety and the project’s impact on neighboring properties. The proposal also conflicted with the town’s land plan. The updated design adds brick on the building exterior as well as architectural elements including windows on the east side. The facility’s footprint was also downsized and shifted 10 feet from the northeast property line. The council was expected to discuss the rezoning request at its Aug. 24 meeting. Hutton specializes in build-to-suit developments nationwide. It averages 80 projects annually.
New Kent County, Va., supervisors approved a conditional-use permit that’ll allow real estate developer Joamark Gloucester LLC to build a 150,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Bottoms Bridge community. Pocahontas Square will include a self-storage facility of up to 48,000 square feet, a 50,000-square-foot grocery store, and additional space for retail and restaurants. It’ll be built on about 10 acres of a 50-acre property on Pocahontas Trail, across from the Patriots Landing residential development. Though supervisors wanted the retail component to be built before the storage facility, the developer convinced officials to remove that stipulation, arguing it could affect financing. The self-storage component is expected to be complete by winter, with the retail components scheduled to be built in about two years.
Landvest Corp., a property-management firm specializing in self-storage properties, is developing MoreStor Storage in Wichita, Kan., in partnership with Mike Brand and Nic Howell. The facility will be at 143rd Street E. and Kellogg Street, behind the QT location. It’s expected to be complete in October. Founded in 1985 and based in Wichita, Landvest manages a portfolio of more than 50 self-storage facilities in six states. Its portfolio comprises more than 2.9 million square feet.
Lighthouse Storage opened a second Kentucky location, in Henderson. The facility sits on 4.8 acres at 2429 U.S. Highway 60. Lighthouse also operates a location in Shepherdsville, Ky., and one each in Evansville and Tell City, Ind. Two additional facilities are slated to open in the next year.
Lock Stock Self Storage, which operates 18 container-based self-storage facilities across Mid and North Wales, broke ground on a new location in Sandycroft, Flintshire, Wales. The 2.3-acre site on Deeside, near the A55 North Wales Expressway, will include storage and office space. It’ll be modeled after Containerville in London, which houses more than 40 businesses in a three-story, container-based structure. The Sandycroft project will include eight office spaces on the top floor of a similar, two-story structure. The 1,280-square-foot offices will be fully insulated and equipped with air-source heating systems and solar power. The site has capacity for more than 250 storage units, the first of which are expected to be in place by fall. Founded in 1999 by brothers Nick and Shon Powell, Lock Stock is based in Denbigh, Wales. The family-operated business also provides moving services through its “Take Stock” van fleet.
My Lock Up, which operates 11 facilities in North East and Yorkshire, England, received funding from Allied Irish Bank to expand its portfolio. The company has three new developments expected to be completed this year, plus four additional projects underway. Founded in 1996 by Kevin Doyle, My Lock Up operates more than 120,000 square feet of storage.
Personal Mini Storage recently expanded its Fanning Springs, Fla., location. The addition at 16910 US-19 includes 6,600 rentable square feet in 44 climate-controlled units. Personal Mini operates 45 facilities across Central Florida. Managed by Laurie and Marc Smith, it’s a participating regional operator for National Storage Affiliates Trust, overseeing eight properties under the partnership.
Safeguard Self Storage, which operates 74 facilities throughout the eastern states, opened a new location in Hawthorne, N.J. The facility at 66 Goffle Road comprises 73,334 rentable square feet in 964 units. It’s the company’s fifth site in Northern New Jersey. Safeguard has 12 additional developments in its pipeline, including five in Florida, one in Louisiana, five in New York, and one in Pennsylvania.
Self-storage developer SAFStor Land Co. LLC, an affiliate of SAFStor Real Estate Co. LLC, received site-plan approval to build a three-story facility in Jackson, N.J. The property on W. County Line Road will comprise 104,211 square feet in 819 units and a management office. As part of its deal with town officials, the developer agreed to set aside at least three units for use by charitable organizations in the community. SAFStor is an integrated self-storage company that uses professional management companies to run its facilities, according to representative Jon Williams.
SecureSpace Self Storage is seeking approval to build a self-storage facility on a blighted 10.44-acre property in Richmond, Calif., that’s been vacant for more than 30 years. The 250,000-square-foot facility at 1014 Chesley Ave. will be built in three phases by Insite Property Group, the parent company of SecureSpace. Plans include a three-story, 98,000-square-foot building and 10 single-story structures totaling 152,000 square feet. The city’s design-review board recommends the planning commission approve the proposal at its Sept. 3 meeting, but members attached several conditions to the project involving its lighting plan, design, security fence and landscape. Based in Redondo Beach, Calif., SecureSpace operates three facilities in California, Florida and New Jersey, with two projects under development in New Jersey and New York. InSite Property Group is a developer, builder and operator of self-storage, with more than 20 facilities under development.
Self Storage Group ASA, which operates the City Self-Storage and OK Minilager brands, is converting a building it recently purchased in Håndverksveien 2, Nordre Follo, Norway. The property has a value of NOK 25 million, with an estimated rentable area of 1,300 square meters. Slated to open next spring, it’ll operate under the City Self-Storage brand. Self Storage Group operates 113 facilities across Scandinavia with a current rentable area of 140,300 square meters.
Seritage Growth Properties Inc. intends to convert the basement of a former Sears department store to self-storage in El Cajon, Calif. The city council unanimously approved the Parkway Plaza project, which will transform the 70,475-square-foot basement to storage and turn 3,402 square feet of ground-level space into two “office storefronts,” one of which will be used as the self-storage entrance and management office. Tenants will be able to access units only by using an inside elevator. Part of the parking lot next to the office will be designated to let customers load and unload their belongings. The facility will be operated and branded by Extra Space. As part of its deal with the city, Seritage agreed to pay $12,000 annually for 10 years as a sales-tax offset. Sears operated the retail space from 1969 to 2018. Future redevelopment of the mall could integrate housing. Seritage is a publicly traded, self-administered and self-managed REIT with 180 wholly-owned properties and 28 joint-venture properties comprising about 30 million square feet across 45 states and Puerto Rico.
Storage Giant Ltd., which operates 10 self-storage facilities in the United Kingdom, opened a mixed-use project in Brislington, Bristol, England, that includes 55,000 square feet of self-storage in 800 units and 2,700 square feet of office space. Founded in 2007 and based in Newport, Wales, Storage Giant operates five facilities in England and five in Wales. It has seven developments underway and expects to operate at least 20 locations by 2021.
Store & Go Self Storage expanded its facility in Derry, Ireland. The property at 14 Balliniska Road now offers 161 units. The expansion was a result of an increase in business customers during the coronavirus pandemic, according to site manager Grainne O’Doherty. Located near the city’s downtown, the facility also provides document storage.
U-Haul completed its conversion of the former Mosley Motel in Atlanta. The facility at 4225 Fulton Industrial Blvd. comprises 71,333 square feet. It currently offers 164 climate-controlled units but will contain 800 additional units upon full build-out. U-Haul acquired the 11-acre property in 2018 for $2.1 million. The company is closing its site at 4375 Fulton Industrial Blvd. S.W., which opened in 1984, and will lease it to a new tenant.
8/13/20 – The global self-storage development pipeline continues to be extremely dynamic. Inside Self-Storage regularly covers new projects being planned and approved as well as zoning and other municipal issues. Following is activity taking place in August 2020.
A partnership between Absolute Storage Investments (ASI) and SRM Storage LLC opened Absolute Storage on June 30 in Mary Esther, Fla. The facility at 300 Mary Esther Blvd. comprises 53,232 square feet in 454 units. The property is near retail and multi-family housing. ASI is the investment division of self-storage owner and property-management firm Absolute Storage Management (ASM), which will oversee the property. Founded in 2002, ASM operates more than 140 self-storage facilities in 16 states.
A joint venture between Blue Ribbon Capital LLC and Janko Group LLC opened a facility in New Lenox, Ill. The property at 1991 W. Haven Ave. comprises about 100,000 rentable square feet in 630 climate-controlled units and 36 boat/RV spaces. Designed by Timothy Morgan Associates, the facility is run and branded by Life Storage Inc., a real estate investment (REIT) and third-party management firm that operates more than 850 facilities in 29 states and Ontario. Blue Ribbon is a real estate development and financing firm specializing in hospitality, self-storage and student housing. Founded in 1988, Janko Group is a real estate investment firm specializing in hospitality, industrial, office, retail, self-storage and single-family residential projects. Its self-storage portfolio comprises about 325,000 square feet.
Bluebird Self Storage will complete construction this month on a new facility in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. The four-story facility at 1580 Victoria Street E. is near Ontario Highway 401 and Thickson Road. Comprising 130,000 square feet in 990 climate-controlled units, the property will be managed by Life Storage. Since its inception in 1983, Bluebird has developed and operated nearly 100 locations across Canada and the United States.
Bright-Meyers 2001 LLC received zoning approval to build a two-story self-storage facility in Holly Springs, Ga., on a 2-acre parcel off Georgia Highway 140. The developer plans to upgrade the building façade and install a tree buffer between the facility and a neighborhood amenity area.
Real estate developers John DeVito and Fred Koelsch intend to convert a former Toys R Us store in the Jefferson Valley hamlet of Yorktown, N.Y., to self-storage. The developers recently told town officials they have a project under contract with Seattle-based Columbia Pacific, which has $2 billion in real estate development and would provide financing, and Rochester, N.Y.-based real estate development and investment firm Wegman Cos. The 45,000-square-foot retail space at 621 Bank Road has been vacant for three years. Current zoning allows self-storage as long as units aren’t visible from the main frontage. The partnership would like to begin construction before year-end, with an opening planned for March 2021. The town board is expected to discuss the project in September. Koelsch is director of realty investments for Carmel, N.Y.-based Camarda Realty Investments.
Devon Self-Storage opened a new facility on Aug. 1 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Converted from a former Kmart at 4111 Plainfield Ave. N.E., the property comprises 82,000 square feet in 820 units. Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Devon operates 38 facilities across 22 states. Its portfolio comprises more than 2.7 million net rentable square feet. It has five similar development projects in its pipeline.
Home Star Storage opened a new location in Orlando, Fla. The multi-level facility at 8235 N. Orange Blossom Trail comprises 90,338 rentable square feet in 833 units. The property is the third for the company, which also operates locations in Cincinnati and Mableton, Ga. The facilities are managed by SAM. Home Star Storage Orlando LLC is owned by Home Star Storage LLC (HSS) and its partners. HSS is managed by chief operating officer Joseph Murphy.
Miller’s Self Storage opened in Zurich, Ontario, Canada. The facility, converted from an old, vacant building at the town’s main intersection, comprises seven units between 1,200 and 1,300 square feet. Each space is equipped with in-floor heating. Miller’s is catering to business tenants who need extra space for equipment and product inventory. It’s owned by Dale and Shelley Miller.
Montgomery Development Group is nearing completion on a self-storage facility in Spartanburg, S.C., that’ll be operated and branded by REIT and third-party management firm Extra Space Storage. The 4-acre property at 1640 John B. White Sr. Blvd. will comprise about 100,000 square feet in more than 700 units, though it has room for expansion and will eventually include boat/RV storage. Based in Spartanburg, Montgomery Development specializes in commercial and residential projects in the Carolinas. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 1,878 self-storage properties in 40 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 1.4 million units and 145.4 million square feet of rentable space.
O'Brien Commercial Properties of Concord received approval to convert a vacant warehouse it owns in Worcester, Mass., to storage. The company will also construct 49 drive-up units on part of the parking lot at 40 Pullman St. About 1,537 square feet of existing pavement will converted to a landscaped area. Built in 1900, the three-story brick and stone building was once part of the Pullman-Standard rail-car manufacturing facility. Most recently, the 86,009-square-foot structure served as a commercial warehouse and distribution center. Established in 1998 by Eric O’Brien, the company provides commercial real estate services.
Palmetto Bay Storage Development LLC broke ground on a $14.5 million self-storage project in Miami-Dade County, Fla., near Palmetto Bay. The 2.6-acre site at 17500 Cleveland Ave. will eventually house a 164,000-square-foot structure that yields about 104,000 rentable square feet. Designed by Ken Carlson Architects, the project is expected to be complete by September 2021. The developer acquired the property in 2019 for $4 million. Palmetto Bay Storage is managed by Miami-based Feldman Cos., which has developed more than 2 million square feet of self-storage.
Personal Mini Storage expanded one of its Clermont, Fla., properties. The facility at 2115 U.S. Highway 27 now contains an additional 34,624 of rentable square feet in 268 units. Founded in 1982 and based in Orlando, Fla., Personal Mini operates three locations in Clermont and 45 across Central Florida. Managed by Laurie and Marc Smith, it’s a participating regional operator for National Storage Affiliates Trust, overseeing eight properties under the partnership.
Pine Forest Development received approval to develop a three-story facility on a vacant site in Mokena, Ill. The property at 19140 Darvin Drive is near 191st Street and LaGrange Road. In addition to traditional storage, it’ll offer interior vehicle storage.
Red Bank Climate Storage opened in Chattanooga, Tenn. The newly constructed facility at 4707 Dayton Blvd. comprises 23,280 square feet of rentable storage space in 215 units. It’ll be managed by Absolute Storage Management (ASM), a third-party management company. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., ASM operates more than 100 properties in 13 states.
Blythe Landing Self Storage opened in Huntersville, N.C. The facility at 14936 Brown Mill Road comprises 67,955 square feet of rentable storage space in 654 units. The site is owned by Kimberly Sailors and Bob Watson. It’ll be managed by Storage Asset Management (SAM), a property-management and consulting firm. Founded in 2010 and based in York, Pa., SAM oversees more than 220 storage facilities operating under 60-plus brands.
Lirim Selimi received approval to build a self-storage facility on land he owns in Glen Carbon, Ill. The board of trustees approved a special permit for the property at 5222 Chain of Rocks Road and the related preliminary plat for the site. Selimi plans to construct 100 units on the former golf driving range.
Space Station Self Storage opened a new property on Aug. 10 in Solihull, England. The facility at 16 Highlands Road comprises 21,000 square feet of storage space in 340 units, with another 29,000 square feet in 360 units planned for later this year. Founded in 1983, the family-owned company operates 10 facilities in England.
Store Galore, which operates two facilities in England, opened a third in Wymondham, a market town and civil parish in Norfolk. The company is owned by husband-and-wife team Sam and Rebecca Hill. Founded in 2010, the company also has locations in Barnham Broom and Catfield, Norfolk. Together, the three sites contain more than 100 units.
Store It All Self Storage opened a new location in the Pigtown neighborhood of Baltimore. The facility at 1018 S. Paca St. comprises 692 units. The operator renovated an existing three-story brick building that was constructed in 1906 and built an adjacent six-story addition. The historical structure was originally used as a slaughterhouse. It most recently housed Fandango Special Events before the self-storage project began in 2018. Based in Rockville, Md., Store It All operates 29 self-storage properties nationwide.
Stor-It Self Storage intends to build a facility on a 20.6-acre parcel in Boise, Idaho. The property at 6099 S. Federal Way will eventually comprise 347,000 square feet. Designed by Hatch Design Architecture, the project was expected to be discussed yesterday by the city’s Design Review Committee. Stor-It operates 16 facilities in Idaho.
Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,200 self-storage facilities across North America, is converting a former Kmart in South Middleton, Pa. Plans for the building at 1180 Walnut Bottom Road include interior climate-controlled and drive-up units, plus a retail store.
West Coast Self-Storage Group (WCSSG) opened two new properties in Washington. The Fircrest location at 3001 S. Mullen St. in Tacoma comprises 68,450 square feet of rentable space in 738 units. Designed by Jackson|Main Architecture and developed by Northwest Building LLC, it was built by Deacon Construction LLC. The West Seattle location at 3252 Harbor Ave. S.W. is in the North Admiral neighborhood and comprises 65,240 square feet of rentable space in 857 units. Owned by NWB/CSPP – West Seattle LLC and managed by WCSSG, the facility was designed by Magellan Architects of Redmond, Wash., and built by Issaquah, Wash.-based Seacon Construction Inc. Headquartered in Everett, Wash., WCSSG is a self-storage acquisition, development and property-management firm that owns and manages 73 facilities in California, Oregon and Washington.
The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, is developing a seven-story facility in Van Nuys, Calif. Plans for the 1.2-acre site on Roscoe Boulevard include demolishing an existing 8,000-square-foot, single-story structure and replacing it with 127,000 square feet of storage. Construction is expected to begin this month, with completion in fall 2021. Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG acquires, develops and operates more than 165 self-storage facilities in 14 states.
New Sources:
The Examiner, Self-Storage Facility Proposed for Former Toys “R” Us Building in Yorktown
Business News Wales, Work Begins on Revolutionary New Business Park in North Wales
CentralJersey.com, Jackson Planners Approve Three-Story Self-Storage building
Commercial Property Executive, U-Haul Opens New Storage Facility in Atlanta
Mississippi Journal, Former Fred’s to Be Storage Facility
Patch, New Storage Facility Opens in Port Angeles, Washington
PR.com, Safeguard Self Storage Expands Again in Northern New Jersey
PR Newswire, Central Florida-Based Personal Mini Storage Completes Expansion of Fanning Springs Self-Storage Location
Richmond BizSense, 150,000-Square-Foot Development Could Add New Grocery Store Brand to New Kent
Self Storage Group, Self Storage Group ASA - Acquisition of New Property in Nordre Follo, Norway
The Business Desk, Self-Storage Business Secures Seven-Figure Funding Support
The Irish News, Derry Self-Storage Firm Store & Go in Lockdown Expansion
The Pilot, Southern Pines Council Reviews Modified Plans for Self-Storage Facility
The Richmond Standard, Mini-Storage Facility Proposed for Long-Blighted Richmond Site
The San Diego Union-Tribune, Storage Units Coming to Basement of Former Sears Building in El Cajon
Yahoo Finance, Brookwood Properties Opens New Self Storage Facility in Slidell, LA
Previous Sources:
Cherokee Tribune and Ledger-News, Holly Springs Sets Date for Election of Mayor, Council Seats
PR Newswire, Central Florida-based Personal Mini Storage Completes Major Expansion at Clermont Self Storage Location
The Telegraph, New Storage Units Get Green Light From Glen Carbon Trustees
Eastern Daily Press, Norfolk Storage Firm Celebrates 10 Years by Opening New Site
Telegram, Worcester Grants Permits for Self-Storage Building on Pullman Street
Patch, Mokena Trustees Approve New 24/7 Storage Facility After 4-2 Vote
The Sentinel, Project to convert former Kmart into U-Haul facility moves forward for Walnut Bottom Road Corridor
Patch, West Coast Self-Storage Opening New Facility in Tacoma, WA
Patch, New Self-Storage Facility Opening in West Seattle, Washington
My Email, Lee & Associates Closes $6.5 Million Transaction in Van Nuys
Benzinga, New Self Storage Facility in Mary Esther, FL
Blackburn News, Local Residents Convert Old Zurich Building Into Storage Facility
Go Upstate, 100,000 Feet of Self-Storage Coming to Spartanburg this Fall
Idaho Statesman, Houses, Apartments, Condos. Big Change at Micron HQ. A Plane Hangar. Coming Near You
Lohud, What's Next for Former Toys R Us Building in Yorktown's Jefferson Valley?
SOuthBmOre.com, Store It All Self Storage Opens in Pigtown
South Florida Business Journal, Self-Storage Project Breaks Ground Near Palmetto Bay
TAPinto, Self-Storage Proposed for Toys ‘R’ Us Building in Yorktown
