Brainerd, TN, Big Lots Store Converted to CubeSmart Self-Storage Facility

Update 7/24/17 – Frogel Properties intends to double the size of the Brainerd CubeSmart self-storage facility when the neighboring Dollar General store closes at the end of August. The $2 million project will add another 280 storage units. Opened in April, the location is already at full occupancy, according to the source.

"Chattanooga has really taken to the CubeSmart brand," Frogel told the source. "I think being near the airport and on a road where more than 40,000 motorists a day pass by, this is still a good location. Unfortunately, the retail appeal went down when the airport tore down the properties near the end of the runway [across Brainerd Road].”

Frogel installed new LED lighting in the shopping center as part of the first phase of the self-storage project. A U.S. Money Shop pawn store also operates in the center.

1/17/17 – Bernard Frogel, president of Frogel Properties Inc., is converting a former Big Lots store in Brainerd, Tenn., to self-storage. The property at 5952 Brainerd Road will be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) CubeSmart and branded under its name. The REIT operates seven storage facilities in Tennessee, but this will be its first in the vicinity, according to the source.

Frogel, who owns the 50,000-square-foot retail space, plans to build 250 indoor, climate-controlled units during the first phase. The development will cost about $3.5 million and should be complete in four months, the source reported. Frogel hopes to eventually expand the facility to more than 100,000 square feet of storage space.

Customer amenities will include package acceptance and a retail store that sells moving and packing supplies. The facility will also include a business center with free Wi-Fi and workstations, as well as and printing, copying and fax services. Moving and organization services will be offered through affiliated service providers, Frogel said.

The property is in the Hill's Plaza Shopping Center, which was originally built for a Hill's Department Store. Frogel has owned the shopping plaza since 1996.

"Since the airport pulled down most of the retail development across the street, the retail centers in this area have about disappeared; so we figured having a storage facility near the airport would be appropriate," Frogel told the source.

Frogel also developed and once owned the East Ridge Flea Market and the Abe Shavin Ace Hardware Stores. He currently owns two commercial centers in Chattanooga, Tenn. Frogel Properties is based in Palm Desert, Calif.

CubeSmart owns or manages 762 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises 50.6 million square feet.