Update 9/17/21 – The Hampden Planning Board continues to discuss Garvey’s request to build a self-storage facility in Hampden, Massachusetts. More than 80 people attended a public meeting on Sept. 15.
The continuance comes after two board members resigned, leaving the committee without the four members needed to vote on the matter. Residents accused Robert Howarth and Phil Schneider of improprieties related to special-permit requests that would pave the way for the project. John Matthews, interim chair, offered Garvey the choice between extending to Sept. 28 or withdrawing his request with the option to resubmit. Garvey agreed to the extension.
Matthews said he hopes to fill the board vacancies before the deadline. The special-permit request from Hampden Farms LLC for a separate property at 16 Somers Road will likely be given the same option to extend or withdraw its application, a source reported.
8/26/21 – 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 August 2021.
A joint venture between 68 Ventures LLC and Stoic Equity Partners intends to convert a former Food World grocery store in Fairhope, Alabama, to self-storage. The partners recently acquired the vacant 45,020-square-foot building, which most recently served as offices. The 355-unit facility at 100 Ecor Rouge Lane will be virtually managed by Birmingham, Alabama-based StoreEase. Daphne, Alabama-based Crucible Construction LLC will serve as general contractor. The conversion is expected to take six months and be complete in February. 68 Ventures is a vertically integrated construction, development and real estate group. Stoic is a private-equity real estate firm formed last year to take advantage of shifting trends in commercial real estate, according to the source.
Best Brothers Development recently completed a $75,000 renovation of East Aurora Storage in East Aurora, New York. Built in 1988 on 1.67 acres, the facility at 426 Olean Road comprises 20,500 square feet in 200 units. It also offers vehicle storage. It’s owned Larry and Mary Ann Best. The couple acquired the former Aurora Premier Storage in February for $552,000 from original owners Carl and Coleen DiPieto.
Bonefish Storage recently expanded its Marathon, Florida, location. The facility at 12693 Overseas Highway now comprises about 350 units, of which more than half are climate-controlled. Husband-and-wife team Alex and Joy Wolfe purchased the property in 1997. They have a second Bonefish self-storage facility in Islamorada, Florida.
The Yorktown, New York, Planning Board granted approval for real estate investment trust (REIT) Extra Space Storage Inc. to expand a facility in the Staples Plaza Shopping Center into a storefront previously occupied by A.C. Moore. The project will comprise 21,451 square feet. The glass façade will be tinted to hide units from sight. The REIT was granted a special-use permit on Aug. 9. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, it owns or operates 1,973 self-storage properties in 40 states and Washington, D.C. The company’s properties comprise approximately 1.4 million units and 152.6 million square feet of rentable space.
Hunt Midwest opened a new StorTropolis location in Lenexa, Kansas. The self-storage facility at 19585 W. 102nd St. comprises 110,670 square feet in 760 units. It was designed and built by Strickland Construction. The site will be managed by Storage Asset Management, a property management and consulting company that operates 270 self-storage facilities in 33 states. This is the fifth StorTropolis location opened by Hunt since it launched the brand in 2018. The company specializes in commercial, industrial, multi-family, retail, residential and senior-housing projects. It’s part of a diverse portfolio of entities owned by the Hunt Family, which includes the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Hall County, Georgia, Planning Commission voted to recommend approval for Lanier Luxe Self Storage to build a boat/RV-storage facility, as long as site access is restricted to Browns Bridge Road. The developer had requested access from Cherokee Trail, but residents were strongly opposed. Lanier Luxe is seeking a zoning change from residential and agricultural-residential to a highway-business use. If approved, the seven-building facility would be constructed in two phases on about 10 acres at 4152 Browns Bridge Road. The first would include uncovered boat storage on a graveled area on the northern portion of the site. The Hall County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to review the zoning request on Sept. 23.
The Falls Township, Pennsylvania, Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to grant development approval for Lincoln Highway Storage LLC, allowing the company to build a self-storage facility on a former car lot. The project at 957 Lincoln Highway will include a pair of 30,000-square-foot, two-story buildings and two single-story structures totaling 15,310 square feet. The developer will demolish existing structures on the property. Site improvements are to include upgrades to landscaping, lighting, parking and stormwater management.
Now Store - Away Cheltenham Ltd. intends to convert a former Lidl supermarket in Cheltenham, England, to self-storage. The company has applied for a change of business use with the borough council. The conversion project would be confined to the interior of the building, which was built in the 1970s, with no structural changes to the exterior. The company also wants to place a 40-foot shipping container in the loading bay at one side of the building to use as an office and reception area. Lidl closed the market last September.
NWB Fremont LLC will open a new self-storage facility in Fremont, California, on Sept. 1. The property at 45968 Warm Springs Blvd. comprises 50,342 rentable square feet in 623 units. The site will be operated by West Coast Self-Storage Group, an Everett, Wash.-based company that provides third-party management. It was designed by Mountain View, California-based Dennis Kobza & Associates Inc. Sacramento, California-based Tilton Pacific Construction served as contractor.
Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based REIT Public Storage Inc., intends to build a new facility in Inner West London. The property will comprise 6,700 square meters in more than 1,200 units. The project will bring the company’s footprint in London to about 200,000 square meters of rentable space. Shurgard operates 245 self-storage facilities in seven countries comprising about 1.2 million rentable square meters.
Sunset Mini Warehouses LLC intends to build a second Sunset Mini Storage location in San Angelo, Texas. The $2 million project at 1797 W. Loop 306 is near other new developments, including homes and apartments. The building permit for the project is pending. The other Sunset Mini location is at 1639 Sunset Drive.
8/12/21 – 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 August 2021.
129 Amity Road LLC received zoning approval to build a four-story facility on a 0.74-acre tract in New Haven, Connecticut. The project at 129 Amity Road will be constructed by Boardwalk Storage Solutions LLC. The property is owned by Glenn Greenberg, the proprietor of The Owl Shop, a local tobacco store and cigar lounge. Greenberg considered other uses for the site, including a marijuana dispensary and a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant, but those deals fell through. The project now needs site-plan approval from the planning commission.
The joint venture between commercial real estate companies ADEVCO Corp. and Batson-Cook Development Co. (BCDC) will build a pair of three-story self-storage facilities in Jonesboro, Georgia, and Mobile, Alabama. The Jonesboro facility at 8500 Tara Blvd. will comprise 729 units. Construction is expected to be complete this fall. The Mobile facility will be developed on 2 acres at 3679 Airport Blvd. It’ll offer 752 units. Both properties will be managed by real estate investment trust (REIT) Extra Space Storage Inc. and branded under its name. The projects follow the joint venture’s second and third developments in Columbus, Georgia, and Vestavia Hills, Alabama, announced in October 2019.
Automated Self Storage opened in Tifton, Georgia. The climate-controlled facility at 1652 S. Carpenter Road is owned by Shannon Sledge and Kevin Williams.
Boxes Builders Inc. is converting the former Greif Inc. packaging plant in Tonawanda, New York, to self-storage. The company paid $3.3 million for the 138,000-square-foot building at 2122 Colvin Blvd. Plans call for 101,000 square feet in more than 800 climate-controlled units, plus outdoor vehicle storage. The facility will be managed by REIT Life Storage Inc. and branded under its name. Based in Greenwood, Indiana, Boxes Builders specializes in conversions, ground-up construction and pre-construction services.
Devon Self Storage intends to convert a 100,000-square-foot former Kmart in Macon, Georgia. The building at 1900 Paul Walsh Drive was most recently home to Virginia College, which closed in 2018. In addition to more than 850 indoor, climate-controlled units, it’ll offer outdoor vehicle storage. The company is under contract to acquire the 18.25-acre property from VC Macon LLC. Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Devon operates 47 facilities across 13 states. Its portfolio comprises more than 3 million net rentable square feet.
Family 2020 Limited Partnership opened a new self-storage facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. The property at 2650 S.E. Imlay Ave. comprises 33,584 rentable square feet in 345 units. A second phase scheduled for next year will add 75,970 square feet in 566 units. The site will be managed by West Coast Self-Storage Group, an Everett, Wash.-based company that provides third-party management. It was designed by Tuan Q. Luu of Beaverton, Oregon-based Mildren Design Group PC. Mulino, Oregon-based Larry Swayze Construction Inc. served as contractor.
Daniel P. Garvey is facing opposition in his quest to build a storage facility in Hampden, Massachusetts. Residents expressed concerns about the project at 2 Somers Road during an Aug. 2 meeting of the Hampden Board of Selectmen (HBS). A public hearing was scheduled for Aug. 11 to discuss a second request from Stephen Andwood and Raipher Pellegrino of 16 Somers Rd LLC for a special permit to develop the adjacent land at 16 Somers Road. HSB Member Craig Rivest noted there hasn’t been environmental-impact or traffic studies, and there aren’t any plans for snow removal and wastewater management. The HBS voted to recommend that the city planning board request them.
Property owner Chris Goeman intends to develop Goeman’s Self Storage on a 2.4-acre lot in Hartford, Wisconsin. The facility at 525 Kettle Moraine Road will be built in two phases. The first, expected to break ground this year, will include three buildings ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet, with one dedicated to boat/RV storage. A fourth building also earmarked for boat/RV storage will be built in phase two. Goeman also owns a car wash nearby.
Hoss Climate Controlled Self Storage opened a 21-unit facility in Louisville, Georgia. The property at 1044 Peachtree St. was converted from a former laundromat. It’s owned by Justin Mooney and his wife, Stephanie Scatina. The business is named after one of the couple’s five dogs.
Merrill Road Storage Inc. intends to build a self-storage facility in the Buck Business Park in Jacksonville, Florida. It acquired the 3-acre property at the intersection of Fort Caroline Road and Merrill Road on June 9 from RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. for $1.43 million. The Arlington neighborhood site is near a townhouse development and other residential projects. Based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Merrill Road Storage specializes in self-storage development.
Northpointe Storage is expanding its self-storage facility in Casco Township, Michigan, recently completing the first of eight structures. The $2 million development will add 75,000 square feet in about 500 units. The project is expected to be complete by Dec. 1. Built in 1998 at 9926 Marine City Highway, the 130,000-square-foot property received a 26,000-square-foot expansion in 2020 and another 22,000 square feet earlier this year. The family-owned company also intends to add locations in Ira Township and Lenox Township, Michigan, next year.
Plantation Storage of Stuart LLC opened in Stuart, Florida. The first phase of the three-building facility at 3301 S.E. Commerce Ave. comprises 41,300 rentable square feet in 323 units and 78 vehicle-storage spaces. Two more structures will be added later. The site is owned and operated by Charles C. Chase and March Chase of Southeast Management Co. They also own Plantation Storage at 2100 Carolina Forest Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, Florida.
Secure Self Storage is building a new facility in Norwalk, Connecticut. The property at 10 Willard Road will comprise about 100,000 square feet. The company’s second location in the city will eventually be surrounded by apartments. Secure operates 13 self-storage facilities in the Northeast.
Springville Self Storage opened in Springville, Alabama. Owned by the Beasley Family, the facility at 145 Walker Drive comprises 38,000 square feet in 217 units.
Storage Authority LLC, which operates owned facilities and franchises in Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, has added a new franchise development in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Planned for a 9.7-acre lot, the facility will comprise 80,000 square feet. It’ll be the company’s second property in the state. 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.
StorSafe of Slinger in Slinger, Wisconsin, is expanding its facility at 3651 N. Lovers Lane Drive from two buildings to five. The new structures will each contain 14 vehicle-storage units, 14 by 45 feet, with interior outlets, LED motion-sensor lighting and keypad entry. Keller Inc., which built the initial phase in 2019, will also construct the expansion, expected to be complete by year’s end.
SureStore, which operates nine self-storage facilities in England, is seeking permission to convert the former Curry’s PC World in Stevenage, England. The vacant space is in the Roebuck Retail Park on London Road. SureStore operates facilities in Bolton, Burton, Bury, Cannock, Lichfield, Northwich, Stafford, Trafford and Wigan, and has five projects underway.
A request by True Storage to convert a former Shopko store in Janesville, Wisconsin, was denied. The Janesville Plan Commission rejected the $8 million proposal for the vacant property at 2029 Humes Road. The plan didn’t meet the requirements for a conditional-use permit, partly due to its impact on nearby businesses, according to Brian Schweigel, a senior planner for the city. Representatives from companies adjacent to the property, including Ashley Furniture and Anytime Fitness, submitted letters to the commission expressing opposition.
Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. intends to expand its facility at 410 W. Marshall Ave. in Longview, Texas. The $7 million project, currently in the permitting process, will comprise 47,570 square feet of storage space in 664 units. The company acquired additional acreage next to the property for the development. Depending on city approvals, the project is scheduled to begin sometime late summer or early fall and be complete next year. Built in 1979, the original facility offers 216 storage units. Established in 1945, U-Haul owns and manages more than 72 million square feet of storage space nationwide.
New Sources:
Bucks Local News, Falls Township Advances Land Development Plans for Northpoint, New Self-Storage Facility
Gloucestershire Live, Former Lidl Supermarket in Cheltenham Set for Completely Different Use
Hunt Midwest, Hunt Midwest Completes Fifth Climate-Controlled, Self-Storage Facility in KC Metro
Keys Weekly, Biz Feature: New Bonefish Storage Facility Opens in Marathon
Multi-Housing News, JV Converts Big-Box Retail to Self Storage
SanAngeloLive, Surprise! This New Business Will Be in Your Upscale Neighborhood
Tap Into Yorktown, Storage Facility to Take Over A.C. Moore Space in Yorktown
The Buffalo News, Renovated Self-Storage Reopens in East Aurora
The Times, Latest on Proposed Boat, RV and Self-Storage Off Browns Bridge Road
The Reminder, Contentious Self Storage Decision Continued by Hampden Planning Board
Previous Sources:
13 WMAZ, Vacant Virginia College Building Off Eisenhower Could Become Self-Storage Facility
GM Today, Commission Clears New Hartford Self-Storage Business
GM Today, StorSafe of Slinger Expanding
Jacksonville Daily Record, RaceTrac Sells Buck Business Park Land for Self-Storage
Longview News-Journal, U-Haul Plans Self-Storage Expansion in Longview
New Haven Independent, Zoners Advance Self-Storage at Amity Lot
News 12, Secure Self Storage Opens New Location in Norwalk to Meet Demand
The Augusta Chronicle, Storage Facility Opens for Business
The Buffalo News, Speed Global Buys Former Republic Services Facility on Kenmore Avenue
The Comet, Regeneration Plans Submitted to 'Breathe New Life' Into Stevenage Retail Park
The Reminder, Hampden Residents Upset Over Proposed Self-Storage Facility
The Tifton Gazette, Automated Self Storage Cuts Ribbon
Times Herald, Family-Owned Business Undergoing $2 Million Expansion in Casco Twp.
Trussville Tribune, New Self-Storage Facility Comes to Springville
WCLO, Janesville Plan Commission Denies Self-Storage Proposal for Former Shopko Site
WGXA News, Storage Unit Business Approved for Old Virginia College Location on Eisenhower Pkwy.
