Update 3/25/21 – Following three hours of public input and debates, the Bridgton Planning Board offered preliminary approval for the development of Mountain Road Storage, pending several conditions. The lighting plan was revised after several residents expressed concern about the illumination coming from the property. Four light posts that would’ve been placed around the perimeter were removed from the plan. The posts were also dropped from 20 to 12 feet tall, and the outdoor parking area will now contain motion-sensor lights.
In addition, the storage units at the back of the site will be constructed of corrugated metal, but more trees and bushes will be added along U.S. Route 302 to create a natural buffer. The planning board will review the final plan at its next meeting.
3/1/21 – The Naperville City Council unanimously approved Shorewood Development’s project plans for Market Meadows, allowing the self-storage facility as a non-permitted use. The facility will have 35 feet of frontage but otherwise remain hidden behind other retailers. It’ll be accessed from the back of the shopping center. Though residents from the Hobson Oaks community had objected to the plan, Mayor Steve Chirico said the homeowners association submitted a letter withdrawing its objections. Shorewood worked with residents to reach a compromise, including agreeing to limit the storage facility’s hours of operation from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and pledging to add “extensive” landscaping to the property line.
1/29/21 – 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 January 2021.
All Inn Storage opened in East Alton, Ill. The facility at 978 E. Airline Drive includes two buildings containing 58 units, plus outdoor vehicle storage. It’s owned by a family in Bethalto, Ill.
Attic Plus Storage intends to convert the Five Points East shopping center in Irondale, Ala. The property at 1630 Crestwood Blvd. comprises about 17,000 square feet. The company acquired the site through Attic Plus Storage IV LLP for $1.45 million. The seller was 5 Points Partners LLC. Attic Plus operates 10 self-storage facilities in the Birmingham, Ala., metro area.
Bulldog Self Storage opened in Stanwood, Wash. The facility at 7000 265th St. N.W. is on the first floor of Cambridge Place, a 45-unit apartment building. It comprises 8,246 square feet in 95 units. Owned by Grandview’s Bulldog Storage LLC, it was designed by architect Glenn C. Wells, and developed and built by Grandview North LLC. It’ll be managed by West Coast Self-Storage Group, an acquisition, development and property-management company headquartered in Everett, Wash.
Jim Cherney, CEO of Cherney Development, is converting a former Kmart in Danville, Va., into a mixed-use site that’ll feature self-storage and retail. Plans for Fort Knox Drive-Thru Self-Storage at 3311 Riverside Drive include 550 indoor units and 14 vehicle-storage spaces. Cherney purchased the 92,900-square-foot store from The Daniel Group. Construction will begin this spring and be complete by the end of the year. Cherney has developed 14 self-storage facilities in North Carolina and Virginia.
Real estate private-equity firm DXD Capital intends to develop a multi-story facility in Las Vegas. The 1.7-acre property on W. Sahara Boulevard, in the Lakes neighborhood, will offer 1,000 units. The project, which will be managed by self-storage REIT Public Storage Inc., is expected to break ground in late winter and be complete in the first quarter of next year. Founded last September, DXD acquired the property through its DXD Self Storage Fund I, which is raising $50 million to use for ground-up development.
Developer EDC opened Storage Sense in Charlottesville, Va. The five-story facility at 865 Pantops Corner Way comprises 83,000 square feet in 567 units. Designed by Kyle Redinger, founder of LandStriker Development, it’ll be managed by Storage Asset Management. Founded in 1990, EDC specializes in the development of retail, self-storage, mixed-use, higher-education, senior-living and multi-family properties.
Compass Self Storage, a member of the Amsdell family of companies, has purchased an Orlando, Fla., facility under development by Flagship Companies Group. The 3.06-acre property is at the intersection of Chickasaw Avenue and Florida State Road 408. Expected to be complete in December, the project will include a three-story, climate-controlled building and three single-story drive-up buildings comprising a total of 81,858 net rentable square feet. Headquartered in Cleveland, Compass operates nearly 100 facilities in 14 states.
G&T Properties is seeking zoning approval to build a six-building self-storage facility in Minoa, N.Y. The vacant parcel on Manlius Center Road is adjacent to Minoa Fire Station No. 2. The structure on the frontage, offering climate-controlled units, will hide the five drive-up buildings behind it, according to Matt Napierala, an engineer with Napierala Consulting Professional Engineer PC, which is representing G&T Properties in the request. The town board will hold a public hearing on Feb. 10.
Guardian Storage, which operates 30 self-storage facilities in Colorado and Pennsylvania, opened a new facility in Canonsburg, Pa. The three-story building at 2670 Washington Road comprises 116,000 square feet. It was designed and built by ARCO/Murray Design Build. Chase Killingsworth was the project manager and Andy Schwartz was the project superintendent.
The Bridgton, Maine, Planning Board is considering two self-storage developments. Keith Harnum has proposed a two-phase, mixed-use project for the 24-acre lot at the intersection of Knights Hill Road and North High Street. The first phase will build four storage buildings comprising 30,800 square feet, plus some outdoor vehicle storage, on 5 acres. The second will add a 10-unit residential condominium project on the remaining acreage. The city is also considering a proposal by Mark Lopez, owner of Lopez’s Bridgton Storage and Consignment. Mountain Road Storage would be built on 19.7 acres near Mountain Road and North High Street. Plans call for four buildings totaling 11,600 feet, plus 80 outdoor vehicle-storage spaces. The facility will be operated from Lopez’s existing business at 293 Portland Road.
Larkspur Properties LP, an investment firm specializing in distressed commercial and residential properties, intends to convert a former Carolina Pottery retail space in Kingsport, Tenn., to climate-controlled storage. The site is part of the 23-acre Factory Stores of America Outlet Center, which Larkspur acquired last October for $1.1 million from Fresno, Calif.-based DPI Group. The center houses a vacuum store and gym, along with several empty retail spaces. The pottery store closed several years ago. The project calls for façade improvements and new landscaping. The conversion requires rezoning the property from tourist accommodation/commerce to a highway-oriented business. The board of alderman recently approved a first reading of the rezoning. If approved, renovations to the site are expected to begin this summer, with the self-storage facility slated to open by year-end. Based in Miami, Fla., Larkspur owns real estate assets in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.
A facility managed by REIT Life Storage opened in Thomasville, N.C. The single-story building at 1450 E. Sunrise Ave. offers 490 climate-controlled units.
Lockaway Storage, which operates more than 30 facilities in Texas, is converting a former grocery store in San Antonio. The property at 1802 W. Commerce St. onced housed Centeno supermarket, which opened in 1948. Designed by Dallenbach-Cole Architecture, the facility will offer climate-controlled and drive-up storage, flex office space, and outdoor vehicle storage.
Overton Moore Properties (OMP) entered the self-storage sector with the opening of its first facility at 6680 Clark Ave. in Newark, Calif. The site comprises 142,618 rentable square feet in 1,630 units. It’ll be managed by self-storage REIT Extra Space Storage Inc. OMP acquired and developed the parcel through a joint venture with Invesco Real Estate, the global real estate investment-management arm of Invesco Ltd. It intends to expand its self-storage portfolio in California. In its 42 years, the Los Angeles-based company has acquired and developed more than 38 million square feet of industrial, mixed-use and office space. It manages about 10 million square feet of commercial space in California.
John Pappas opened Store-It of Swanzey in West Swanzey, N.H. The facility at 787 W. Swanzey Road comprises 15,000 square feet in 111 units. It was built on the grounds of Pappas’ business, Gallery at Knotty Pine Auction Service, which was destroyed by a fire in 2018. Pappas later launched Keene Auctions and Store-It of Keene inside a two-story building at 96 Dunbar St. in Keene, Ohio. He also received approval to convert 4,900 square feet of the Keen building’s first floor to storage.
Public Storage opened a location in West Houston. The three-story facility at 2055 Hayes Road comprises 125,000 square feet in 1,101 units. The REIT demolished an existing storage structure to make way for the new construction. Triad Construction Inc. served as general contractor. Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,504 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 171 million net rentable square feet.
Safeguard Self Storage, which operates 78 facilities throughout the eastern states, opened a new location in Lansdowne, Pa. The facility at 41 S. Union Ave. comprises 73,700 rentable square feet in 846 units. It’s the company’s eighth site in the Philadelphia metro area. Safeguard has 10 additional developments in its pipeline, including four in Florida and six in New York.
SAFStor Inc., a self-storage developer and owner, opened a new location in Alexandria, Va. The six-story building at 5765 General Washington Drive offers 884 climate-controlled units. It’ll be managed by REIT Life Storage and branded under its name. SAFStor has more than 3.3 million square feet under construction or in operation.
The Naperville, Ill., Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the city council approve city-code changes that would allow commercial real estate developer Shorewood Development Group to add The Lock Up Self Storage to the Market Meadows Shopping Center. The facility would be tucked behind retail shops in what’s now a courtyard. It’s part of a $50 million modernization project Shoreline has proposed for the 40-year-old retail property at 1201 S. Naper Blvd., which it’s under contract to purchase. Enhancements would include improved traffic flow and additional parking. A group of 50 residents submitted letters raising concerns about potential impact from noise, traffic, garbage, light pollution and safety. The storage facility would have limited hours and prohibit trucks longer than 26 feet on the property. The city council is expected to review the project on Feb. 16. The Lock Up operates more than 45 facilities across eight states. Its portfolio comprises more than 2.7 million net rentable square feet.
Scott Spadafore, owner of Red Rock Mini Storage, intends to expand his location in Putnam Township, Mich. He recently presented preliminary sketches to the planning commission of his strategy to add a building to the front of the site at 1017 W. Main St. and expand outdoor vehicle storage at the back of the property. Outdoor storage is a permitted use for the site as long it’s behind a storage building with ample screening. Spadafore said he wanted to gauge initial reaction from planners before making a formal presentation.
SSG Development completed construction on a new facility in Needham, Mass. The property at 540 Hillside Ave. comprises 123,000 square feet in 986 units. It’ll be acquired and managed by Westport Properties Inc. (WPI), which operates more than 130 self-storage facilities under the US Storage Centers brand. Based in Boston, SSG is a fully integrated real estate investment and development firm that specializes in mixed-use and self-storage projects, having developed more than 2 million square feet of the latter. Founded in 1985, WPI is a fully integrated self-storage operator that acquires, develops and manages its own portfolio in addition to providing third-party management services.
StoreEase, which operates 15 facilities, opened a new location in Evans, Ga. The facility at 1106 Furys Ferry Road uses the company’s virtual-management platform. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., StoreEase acquires, develops and oversees facilities in Alabama and Ohio.
Real estate developer Taction Properties opened a five-story facility in Providence, R.I. The location at 345 Harris Ave. comprises 54,137 square feet in 499 units and 70 vehicle spaces. It’ll be managed by REIT Life Storage Inc. The facility was designed by Robinson Green Beretta Corp. Tavares LLC served as general contractor. Based in Providence, Taction specializes in industrial, office, residential and self-storage properties.
TFJ South Plainfield I LLC is seeking a zoning variance to build a four-story self-storage facility in South Plainfield, N.J. The proposal for the property on Park Avenue calls for 110,320 square feet in 921 units. The company also plans site improvements for the vacant lot, including newly positioned guardrails and new outdoor signage. The zoning board was expected to review the project on Jan. 19.
U-Haul will convert a former metal scrapyard in Scottsdale, Ariz., into a truck-rental and self-storage center. The facility at 7300 E. Adobe Drive will offer climate-controlled units in addition to truck and trailer rentals, portable storage, hitch installation, and other services. U-Haul acquired the property on Nov. 25.
1/14/21 – 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 January 2021.
All Storage, which operates more than 50 facilities in Oklahoma and Texas, opened new locations in Fort Worth and Prosper, Texas. The Fort Worth facility at 9760 Blue Mound Road comprises 211,955 square feet in two four-story buildings. The four-story Prosper facility at 920 W. Frontier Parkway comprises 133,575 square feet. It’s near the Frontier Estates and Light Farms neighborhoods.
All Storage also received approval for additional developments in Fort Worth and Plano, Texas. The Fort Worth project on Summer Creek Drive will comprise 230,000 square feet and offer covered RV spaces. The two-story Plano development at Charles Street and Plano Parkway will comprise 180,000 square feet. Both are expected to be complete by summer 2022.
Big Tex Self Storage, which operates four facilities in Houston, is building a seven-story facility on the site of a former church. The structure at 730 E. 11th St., which once housed Resurrection Life Fellowship, was demolished last month. The church relocated several years ago due to disrepair of the structure, according to Big Tex owner Bobby Grover. Construction will begin in March and is expected to be complete within a year. Founded in 2005, Big Tex is a privately held partnership with a portfolio of more than 400,000 square feet of storage space.
The Lower Towamensing Township, Pa., Zoning Hearing Board approved a use variance that’ll allow owner James Zaspel to expand the 8,000-square-foot Blue Mountain Storage and Rentals, which he recently acquired. Zaspel intends to add two buildings comprising 10,000 square feet as well as perimeter fencing and an electronic access gate. Scheduled to begin this spring, the project still requires plan approval and building permits from the township as well as permission from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to widen the driveway. Zaspel also plans to change the business name to Blue Mountain Self Storage.
Canyon Properties Inc. intends to build a condominium self-storage facility in Wichita, Kan. The region’s Metropolitan Area Planning Commission approved an amendment to the community unity plan that’ll allow the project to move forward. Self-storage is a conditional use for the six parcels along Greenwich Road that comprise the 7-acre building site. The approved change will also allow an increase in maximum building coverage and gross floor area to around 16,000 square feet per parcel.
The Huntsville, Texas, City Council approved a conditional-use permit, clearing the way for Crabbs Prairie Storage. The facility in the 1300 block of Highway 75 N. will comprise 94,000 square feet in seven single-story buildings and five other structures ranging from 4,500 to 5,500 square feet.
Ron Gagliano is developing Agave Storage in Mesquite, Nev. The 2.4-acre parcel on Agave Road will contain two retail spaces measuring 2,700 square feet and 1,200 square feet, and nine 900-square-foot garages intended for customers seeking a “man cave,” Gagliano said. It’ll also include 33 outdoor vehicle-storage spaces, power in each unit, and a wash station and dump area for RVs. The facility is expected to open in spring.
Development and real estate firm InSite Property Group, the parent company of SecureSpace Self Storage, received approval from the planning commission to move forward on a vacant lot bordering the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, Calif. The three-story facility proposed for the triangular parcel just north of Interstate 405 Freeway will comprise 152,745 square feet. The site will also contain a 2,153-square-foot carwash and vehicle storage. Based in Redondo Beach, Calif., InSite is an integrated developer, builder and operator of commercial real estate. It has more than 30 stores operating or under construction.
InSite also intends to build Rancho Penasquitos RV/Mini Storage on a 9.9-acre site in San Diego. The newly permitted project will comprise 109,700 net rentable square feet in 1,370 units and 115 boat/RV spaces. InSite recently acquired the property from Pardee Homes.
Iron Gate Storage, which operates eight facilities in Portland and Vancouver, Wash., has opened a conversion project in Washougal, Wash. The 5-acre property at 321 C St. formerly housed Boise Cascade, a supplier of building materials. Iron Gate purchased the site in 2017 and transformed three of its buildings into traditional self-storage and vehicle storage. A fourth building was demolished, and a new structure was constructed in its place. Founded in 1988, Iron Gate is co-owned by Glen Aronson and Kim Vine.
The Lawrenceville, Ga., City Council has denied a request from Lawrenceville Hand Properties LLC to allow outdoor vehicle storage at its facility at 420 Grayson Highway. The operator sought to bypass requirements for covered storage and security fencing, suggesting a landscaping buffer as an alternative. The council insisted outdoor storage shouldn’t be seen from the right-of-way.
U.K. self-storage operator Lok'nStore Group PLC received approval to build a five-story facility in Bournemouth, England. The council rejected the application in 2018 due to concerns about the size of the building proposed for Castle Lane East. Though the revised plans garnered an objection from councilperson Lawrence Williams, the project received approval. Founded in 1995, Lok’nStore builds, buys or leases large warehouses or industrial buildings and rents storage units to customers on a weekly basis. It operates 36 self-storage facilities in Southern England.
MySpace Self Storage resumed demolition of a former Crank’s Banquet Center & Lounge site in Warren, Mich. The company acquired the property at 27900 Hoover Road in October 2018, under the name Hoover Road Storage Center LLC, and received site-plan approval last year; but title issues and a problem with a parking easement initially caused delays. The coronavirus pandemic hit shortly after the company began demolishing the structure, causing further postponements. The company originally planned a mixed-use project that was to include a coffee shop. It has tentatively planned for construction to begin in April, with completion expected by March 2022. MySpace operates four facilities in Michigan.
Printworks Mill Storage opened in Greensboro, N.C., in a converted denim mill. The multi-level facility at 1702 Fairview St. formerly housed Printworks Mill. It comprises 53,000 square feet in 545 units. It’ll be managed by Storage Asset Management, a property-management and consulting firm
Quintet Capital Group LLC is constructing a mixed-use facility in Arcola, Texas, that’s expected to open in the fourth quarter. Nearly 5 acres of the 10.8-acre site off Texas State Highway 6 will house a 100,000-square-foot building containing 800 units. The second phase planned for the remaining acreage calls for the development of restaurants and office spaces.
Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc., intends to build a new facility in Bow, London. Expected to open in late 2021, the building will comprise 85,000 square feet in 1,500 units. Shurgard operates 244 self-storage facilities comprising 1.2 million net rentable square meters in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Shurgard also received a building permit for a new location in Düsseldorf, Germany. Expected to open in late 2021, the building will comprise 4,500 square meters in 650 units.
Shurgard also opened a new location in the Barking area of London on Jan. 9. The newly constructed, seven-story facility comprises 74,000 square feet in more than 1,100 units.
Storage Authority LLC, which operates owned facilities and franchises in Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, added three new franchise developments to its pipeline. The ground-up projects are in Florida, Georgia and New Jersey. One of the franchisees already owns its parcel and is pursuing a zoning change. Another made its first land offer. Co-founded by Marc Goodin and Scott House, Storage Authority launched its business model in 2015. The company also offers consulting services and facility-manager training.
TAC New Rochelle LLC, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Montar Group, received approval to move forward with a project in New Rochelle, N.Y. The company purchased the property at 54 Nard Placeozzi last year for $7 million. It plans to demolish an existing structure and construct a four-story building comprising 129,000 square feet and a two-story building of 12,000 square feet.
Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,700 self-storage facilities across North America, intends to convert a former Kmart in La Crosse, Wis. The retail space at 2415 State Road closed in September 2017. It was acquired by E&S La Crosse LLC in December 2018 and remains vacant. Kmart is leasing the property as it goes through the approval with the city. Established in 1945, U-Haul operates more than 68 million square feet of storage space in North America.
New Source:
Daily Herald, Self-Storage Facility, Other Improvements Approved for Naperville Shopping Center
The Bridgton News, Storage Facility Plan Gains Tentative Approval
Previous Sources:
Advantage News, Bethalto Family Opens New Storage Facility
Birmingham Business Journal, Attic Plus Storage Entity Buys Shopping Center in Irondale
Bridgton News, Bridgton Planners Hear Two Storage Facility Proposals
CBS 19, New Storage Facility Near Charlottesville
Chicago Tribune, Naperville Planning Commission Supports Market Meadows Changes, Including New Self-Storage Facility
Daily Herald, Naperville Council to Consider Self-Storage Facility as Part of Market Meadows Redevelopment
Danville Register and Bee, Former Kmart building in Danville to Morph Into Self-Storage Facility
Eagle News, Storage Facility Proposed on Manlius Center Road
My Central Jersey, Self-Storage Facility Proposed in South Plainfield
PR.com, Safeguard Self Storage Announces Further Expansion in the Philadelphia Market
PR Newswire, Opening of OMP’S First Self-Storage Development
PR Newswire, U-Haul Reveals Plans for New Retail, Storage in North Scottsdale
RE Business Online, Public Storage Opens 1,101-Unit Self-Storage Facility in West Houston
Sentinel Source, Storage Facility Set to Open at Former Knotty Pine Antiques Site in West Swanzey
Times News, Theater Closing, Self-Storage Opening at Iconic Kingsport Shopping Center
WHMI, Red Rock Mini Storage Looks to Expand In Putnam Township
The Progress, New Deluxe Storage Facility Coming To Mesquite
The Leader News, 11th Street Church Demolished for Storage Facility
The Columbian, Vancouver-Based Storage Chain Expands Into Washougal
AJC, Lawrenceville Says No to Outdoor Storage at Self-Storage Facility
Daily Echo, Self-Storage Warehouse Will Be Built in Castle Lane Near Tesco
Fort Bend Independent, Groundbreaking Ceremony for Self-Storage Facility in Arcola
Press-Telegram, Long Beach OKs Plans for Self-Storage Facility Near LA River, Despite Community Pushback
PR Newswire, StorCo Self Storage Converts Large Retail Superstore into a Smart Storage Facility with Nokē Smart Locks
News U.S., New Rochelle IDA Approves the Construction of Self Storage
La Crosse Tribune, Former Kmart May Become a U-Haul Facility
Macomb Daily, Former Warren Crank’s Location Set to Be Turned Into Storage Facility
The Item, Huntsville City Council OKs Crabbs Prairie Storage Facility
TNOnline.com, Lower Towamensing Storage Center Expanding
Wichita Business Journal, Records: Self-Storage Facility Headed to Empty Central, Greenwich Property
