By Liz Wolf

Reprinted with permission from "The Storage Facilitator" blog.

Self-storage operators can deck out their facilities in red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July—without breaking the bank. Industry experts say it’s imperative to acknowledge the holiday, but also to have fun with it.

“If you’re going to become the trusted community resource, you need to be decorating for the holidays, and that keeps people looking at you,” says Anne Ballard, president of training, marketing and developmental services at Atlanta-based Universal Storage Group, a third-party management company that oversees 52 facilities in 16 states. “If you don’t ever do anything curbside, they quit looking. So it’s not only important to be patriotic but to get some kind of decorations going for all of the holidays.”

Add a Grand-Old Flag (or Two)

Self-storage operators can start by displaying the American flag, which can be purchased at dollar or party stores, or even online. Small flags can line your facility’s driveway and property, and you can also hand them out to customers. “They’re not expensive, and you can get a big discount if you get a bunch of them at a time,” Ballard says.

Other ideas from Ballard include adding flags made for vehicles to the facility’s golf cart or moving trucks. Or managers can hand out flag-themed bags as a move-in gift to new tenants during the first week of July. She also suggests hanging red, white and blue balloons around the facility and adding America-themed paper or plastic bunting across the front of the storage property.

Marc Goodin, president of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Storage Authority Franchising, gets into the patriotic spirit by adding decorations at his properties. “We do two things to make our sites colorful for the cars passing by: We stick a ton of small U.S. flags along our frontage to wave in the wind, and we hang red, white and blue pennant banners from our sign,” he says.

Go Big

If you’re looking to go bigger in your decorating efforts, consider adding a large inflatable to your property. “One of our area managers had a giant inflatable Uncle Sam on the roof for Fourth of July,” Ballard says.

Websites such as Amazon.com and eBay.com sell everything from inflatable American eagles to the Statue of Liberty. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money, and most of this stuff can be used every Fourth of July as well as for the other patriotic holidays,” Ballard says.

Host an Event

If you’re celebrating July 4 with a gathering, you can pick up decorating kits at most party stores. Some will contain everything you need including plates and cups, utensils, a centerpiece, tablecloth, and streamers. You can also find American-flag folding chairs at many discount retailers.

Another great idea is to tie your celebration to a charity fundraiser or other planned event, Ballard says. “If your community is going to have a parade, you could rent a convertible and deck it out for the Fourth of July, and maybe throw out Dubble Bubble American-flag gum,” she says. “Or maybe you even get a human directional [someone holding up a promotional sign] and dress him up as Uncle Sam and put him out by your entry, where he’s wishing everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July.”

You can also move your celebration online by sponsoring a Facebook contest that seeks patriotic essays from school-age children, Ballard suggests. The winner could receive a Fourth of July “party pack” with prizes, decorations and coupons for food at local eateries.

Make It a Year-Round Celebration

Although many operators only dust off their patriotic decorations for the July 4 holiday, Able Self-Storage in Pearland, Texas, and Crowley Mini Storage in Crowley, Texas, display the American flag every day, says co-owner Cindy Bellomy. That’s because every day at these facilities is “Celebrate America Day,” she says. The properties also go the extra mile on the Fourth of July by adding red, white and blue pictures, signs and flowers.

Although it does take time and effort to decorate for the Fourth of July, “there’s plenty of stuff out there to make it a celebration,” Ballard says.

Liz Wolf is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities area. She is a frequent contributor to “The Storage Facilitator."

Update: 6/26/15 – The self-storage conversion opened its doors in April as Storage Space USA Self Storage. It encompasses 50,000 square feet of storage space in 350 units, 200 of which are climate-controlled. The facility is near the border of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which will be an advantage to attracting new customers, owner Asif Khan told the source.

The office is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and tenants can access their units daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Security features include electronic entry, motion detectors in each unit and video cameras. The facility also has a retail center that sells locks as well as moving and packing supplies.

Plans are underway to add 350 drive-up units in early 2016, Khan said.

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8/21/14 – A real estate developer is seeking zoning approval to convert an empty building and add several more to create a large self-storage facility in Cumberland, R.I. Tariq Khalil is looking to build his project on a 5.5-acre site at the intersection of Curran Road.

The property at 197 Dexter St. formerly housed American Steel & Aluminum, a metals-processing company that closed last year. It includes a 41,000-square-foot, 1950s-era building that contains 93,050 square feet of gross storage space and 3,990 square feet of office space in two stories. It also comprises parking areas and several smaller, vacant lots. The building is valued at $1 million and the land at $186,000, according to the source. In 2009, it sold for $1.47 million.

In addition to converting the existing building, Khalil’s plans include the addition of 13 new structures of varying sizes. The majority of the land is zoned for industrial use; however, some of the adjacent parcels that are part of the development proposal are zoned residential. Khalil is also requesting to cover 86 percent of the land with structures or other impervious material, which is higher than the 80 percent permitted by city regulations.

The proposal includes a request to move the rear property line closer to neighbors than the 150-foot buffer the town allows. This request was met by resistance last week during a technical-review committee meeting. Kelly Morris, the city’s director of planning and community development, urged Khalil to reconsider the lot coverage and also suggested landscaping be added along Dexter Street and at the back of the property, according to the source.

"We like the project and we want business in town, but we also want to make sure it looks nice," Morris said during the meeting.

Khalil has already received permission from the town’s zoning-review board to erect a 6-by-30-foot illuminated sign, which exceeds the town’s size regulation by 150 square feet. The request for all-night illumination, however, was declined. The sign will be turned off at 11 p.m.

The east side of the property is bordered by a Narragansett Electric Co. easement and a river that links Happy Hollow Pond to Robin Hollow wetlands. The nearest self-storage facility is Cumberland Self Storage at 95 Industrial Road. It encompasses 54,575 square feet of office space and storage on 3 acres of land. The town has valued that property at $1.48 million, according to the source.

Khalil’s project is on the council’s agenda this week for permission to advertise only. It will also be on the council’s September meeting agenda.

Safestore, which operates more than 120 self-storage facilities in the United Kingdom, is launching the “Great Donate” drive in July to collect books, clothes, household goods and toys to benefit Scope, which provides advice, information and support for disabled people and their families. The donated items will be sold through Scope’s charity shops nationwide, according to the source. Community members can drop them off at any Safestore facility or Scope store in England, Scotland and Wales.

This is the sixth consecutive year Safestore has supported the nonprofit. It has raised thousands of dollars for the organization through stock donations and regularly donates storage units for use by the charity, the source reported.

Scope was founded in 1952 as The Spastics Society by three parents of children with cerebral palsy who sought education and resources for their kids. The organization became Scope in 1994 to better reflect its positive message, according to its website.

Safestore operates 123 self-storage facilities, including approximately 100 facilities it owns in the U.K. and 24 it owns in France. The company also manages a dozen U.K. sites. Its wholly owned properties comprise more than 5 million square feet of storage space, while its entire portfolio serves approximately 48,000 customers.

 

Australian self-storage operator National Storage REIT (NSR) has agreed to purchase a five-property portfolio in Christchurch, New Zealand, for $23 million. The properties are in the communities of Belfast, Ferrymead, Hornby, Opawa and Redwood. NSR officials expect the assets to add to the company’s earnings per share in the first year, according to the source. The deal is expected to close in August.

"The New Zealand market remains highly fragmented with no dominant major owner," Andrew Catsoulis, managing director, told the source. "We have been reviewing the fundamentals of the New Zealand market for some time, and they are highly attractive and fit squarely within NSR's acquisition metrics."

The deal is the company’s first acquisition since it raised $57.5 million in April through a share placement. NSR officials indicated at the time of the placement that they would use the funds to reduce existing debt and pursue acquisitions. The storage operator previously raised $46 million in capital in August 2014.

Catsoulis indicated the company would continue to pursue acquisitions in New Zealand.

NSR operates 80 self-storage centers in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It’s the first independent, internally managed and fully integrated owner and operator of self-storage centers to be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Sentry Self Storage has broken ground on a $3.4 million project in Oconee, Ga. The three-story facility at 1006 Virgil Langford Road will comprise 59,910 square feet and feature all climate-controlled units and two elevators, according to the source.

Sentry’s Reed Jackson Jr. and Chance Warren of Athens, Ga., are supervising the construction. Marietta, Ga.-based JMWilliams Contractors was chosen as the contractor because of its experience in building multi-story self-storage facilities, Jackson told the source. “Builders are going up instead of out as land gets more expensive,” he said. “This [is] our first venture in a multi-storied unit. We have done our homework and visited various places.”

The Oconee facility will be Sentry’s second location. When Jackson and Warren developed their first asset in Athens, Ga., they wound up switching contractors. “We picked a nice guy who is a good contractor,” Jackson told the source. “But he was not experienced in self-storage. It is not rocket science, but it helps to have some expertise.”

The Athens facility features more than 700 units, 24-hour gated access, flex office space, security video cameras and free WiFi, according to the company website.

 

Despite protests from community members and a veto from the local planning commission, Coltrane Storage LLC received approval this week from the city council to build Coltrane Self Storage in Edmond, Okla. The planning and zoning department earlier denied the request to recommend approval of the storage project, according to sources.

In a 3-2 vote, the city council approved the facility to be built on the northwest corner of Coltrane and Danforth roads. Seven residents, armed with detailed presentations against the storage project, attended the meeting, the source reported. Council members Darrell Davis and Elizabeth Waner voted against it.

Residents said the facility wouldn’t fit the aesthetics of the 25-year-old neighborhood. Their biggest concern was the proposed silver-color roof, which would slope slightly to the west and could be seen from nearby homes. They also believed the galvanized metal would emit a glare.

"The roof is inconsistent with the homes. This will really stand out, and it is incompatible. I ask it be as compatible as possible,” said resident Gordon Amini.

Davis asked the storage developer if the roof finish could be altered to something that would be non-glaring. Coltrane Storage’s attorney, Todd McKinnis of Rubenstein & Pitts PLLC, disagreed there would be a glare. He noted the roof would climb one foot for every 12 feet, reaching only 25 feet wide in the middle, and would be only 25 inches taller at the peak than at its edge. McKinnis also asked who would choose the new color if the developer decided to make a change.

David Payne, a forensic compensatory-damage expert who also opposed the storage project, suggested the downstream water run-off from the facility would be a problem.

"We meet all the city codes and exceed them," McKinnis assured the council during the 84-minute discussion.

Planning-commission members also had concerns about the proposed development, notably the setback from Coltrane and Danforth roads, which is 10 feet from the property line after the correct right-of-way is provided, according to Bob Schiermeyer, planning commissioner. A 70-foot sensitive border is required on the north side of the property and was included in the site plan, he said. The setback on the west is 29 feet from a senior-housing project that’s currently being developed, Schiermeyer added.

Placing the buildings along the edge of the property was intended to offer a more functional and attractive design, the source reported. None of the storage-unit doors will face the street, and landscaping will be planted along the edges of the property, according to Mark Ritchie of Civil Design and Survey of Oklahoma.

The land is properly zoned for commercial use, including self-storage, according to Edmonton City Councilman Nick Massey. "That corner will be changing over the years. The fact is it will be commercial. I think this is a good project."

An affiliate company of global net-lease real estate investment trust (REIT) W. P. Carey Inc. recently acquired Value Self Storage at University Square in Sarasota, Fla., for $5.8 million. The facility at 3283 University Parkway had been owned by Sarasota-based Rutledge Realty and Development Co., according to the source. It comprises 63,000 square feet.

The facility was built on 2.9 acres in 2001 and is near an auto-supply store, bank and restaurant.

This is the third known self-storage transaction this year by W. P. Carey subsidiaries. CPA:18 – Global, a publicly held, non-traded REIT managed by W. P. Carey, acquired two Florida properties in January as part of a $53 million acquisition that included seven assets in five states. In February, CPA:18 – Global also purchased a self-storage asset in Naples, Fla., for $16.4 million.

Value Self Storage continues to operate four locations in Port Charlotte, Sarasota and Venice, Fla., according to its website. Founded in 1985, the company offers services including boat/RV storage, document storage and moving-truck rentals.

Affiliates of W. P. Carey own more than a dozen self-storage facilities in Florida, according to the source. The New York-based investment-management company oversees a global investment portfolio. It manages a series of non-traded REITs with assets under management of approximately $9.5 billion. The company’s enterprise value is approximately $11.2 billion. It provides companies worldwide with long-term sale leaseback and build-to-suit financing, and engages in other types of real estate-related investment.

George Dean "Geordy" Johnson III, CEO of self-storage real estate developer Johnson Development Associates Inc., issued a statement this week calling for the removal of the Confederate flag from the statehouse grounds in Charleston, S.C. Johnson spoke on behalf of South Carolina-based Johnson Management and its affiliated companies, including self-storage operator American Storage Rental Spaces, whose locations are managed by real estate investment trust CubeSmart.

"We support the immediate removal of the Confederate flag from the statehouse grounds. In order for South Carolina to truly flourish, we must create a welcoming environment for all people and companies that live here and those who seek to contribute to the prosperity of our state,” Johnson said. “We can maintain pride in South Carolina through tolerance and solidarity. The removal of this flag is a step in the right direction."

The statement is one of many issued by corporate leaders and politicians who have called for an end to official state use of the Confederate flag following the murder of nine African-Americans last week, who were attending a Bible-study session inside a historic black church in Charleston. Among the dead was Clementa C. Pinckney, a senior pastor and state senator.

Suspected gunman Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white male, faces nine counts of murder in state court and could be charged with a federal hate crime. The FBI has concluded “with a high degree of certainty” that Roof posted a racist manifesto online, which could be used as evidence by federal prosecutors if the Justice Department pursues such legal action, according to “The New York Times.”

Johnson Development operates in the Southeast. Its development portfolio of commercial and industrial properties includes self-storage facilities, multi-family rental communities and single-tenant industrial space.

American Storage Rental Spaces has 22 self-storage properties in South Carolina including five in Charleston. It also has five facilities in Georgia and four in North Carolina. Its portfolio is managed under the CubeSmart name.

Other affiliated companies of Johnson Management include American Credit Acceptance, Haven Apartment Communities, JDA West LLC, OTO Development and WJ Partners.