Morningstar Plans Self-Storage Facility as Part of Mixed-Use Development in Lake Wylie, SC

Morningstar Properties LLC, which operates self-storage facilities under the Morningstar Mini-Storage brand, intends to develop a storage location at Shoppes at the Landing, a 52-acre mixed-use project in Lake Wylie, S.C. The size of the facility is still under consideration, but Morningstar officials hope to be operational in nine to 12 months, according to the source. “We are still very much in the design phase,” said Dave Benson, company president.

The building will likely have an office look and be designed to fit in well with the surrounding community, the source reported. The project may include screened or covered boat/RV parking. “It’s really important to us people understand from the get-go we’re different,” said Billy Stephens, marketing director. “We’re way different than [traditional rows of garage doors and drive-up units]. We’re really about trying to make our facilities fit in with the area and the businesses around them.”

Morningstar was attracted to the location due to its proximity to the lake and a growing trend toward smaller homes and apartments being built near recreation areas, according to the source.

Up to 5 percent of unit space will be reserved for use by local nonprofits. “It’s important to us that people are happy that we’re there,” Benson told the source. “We want to be good neighbors.”

Founded in North Carolina in 1981, Morningstar Properties is a vertically integrated developer, operator and owner of real estate products focused primarily on self-storage and marinas in the Southeast. The company has acquired, developed and operated more than 136 self-storage projects across the country, totaling more than 8.9 million square feet. It currently owns and operates 37 self-storage centers in nine states, with most concentrated in the South.

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