National Self Storage (NSS) recently broke ground on a new property in Marana, Ariz. The development will be the first multi-story, climate-controlled storage facility in Dove Mountain, a master-planned community about 40 minutes from Tucson, according to a press release. Expected to open in March, it’ll comprise 63,000 rentable square feet of space in 637 indoor units. Amenities will include electronic access, covered loading, free use of a moving truck and video surveillance.

The facility’s design will reflect the history of the area, the release stated. Features will include a 45-foot stone tower inspired by the Kiva Room at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain and a 28-foot blade sign similar to that of the historic Fox Theater in Tucson.

“This is a nice neighborhood, and we want to build a facility to match. This is a very underserved market, so we’re excited to get this development going,” said Travis Morrow, president. “I actually live about 400 yards from the site, so I should be able to see my house from the third floor when it’s finished.”

The facility’s front office will deviate from industry tradition by lacking a service counter. Instead, the facility will employ rental stations with handheld tablet kiosks. “These rental stations and tablets will allow the renter to have as much or as little contact with the manager as they please,” Morrow said. “The rental stations will also have features that give the managers more tools to complete the sale, including interactive facility maps, unit-size-guide videos and live competitor pricing.”

Earlier this month, it was announced that Morrow will continue to oversee National’s portfolio of storage facilities, even though he’s also been hired as president of the self-storage division for Strat Property Management, a third-party management firm and facility operator. His new position takes effect Aug. 1.  

Based in Tucson, Ariz., National Self Storage has developed, owned and operated self-storage facilities for more than 40 years. It currently operates 11 properties in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas and Utah.

Strat owns or operates 54 facilities in California and Texas. It also manages apartments, condos and townhouses.