Self-Storage Development and Zoning Activity: November 2020

Update 12/11/20 – The Southern, N.C., Pines Town Council discussed the rezoning request from Longleaf Pines Storage on Dec. 8, but no action was taken. Nearly a dozen residents spoke against the project during the public hearing. They expressed concerns about the size and scale of the project, an increase in traffic, and other issues, according to a source.

Speaking on behalf of Longleaf, attorney Bob Hornick said the development would “eradicate some of the unsafe behaviors” that are currently occurring on the vacant property. The single-story self-storage building would be at the rear of the lot, facing South Hale Street due to a natural slope. Its height would be on par with or lower than the rooflines of nearby homes, he said. Customer vehicle access would be restricted to U.S. Highway 1, and an emergency gate would be built at the back of the property.

Will Huntley of Huntley Design Build, a partner in the project, noted the site was previously zoned for general business before being amended to office services. The low impact of self-storage would make it a good asset to the community, he said. The council is expected to make a decision on the rezoning at its Jan. 6 meeting.

11/19/20 – 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 November 2020.

ARCO/Murray Design Build Inc. completed construction on a new facility in Rochelle Park, N.J. The six-story structure at 174 Route 17 N. comprises 120,000 square feet. It includes a 2,800-square-foot sales office and interior loading dock. It’ll be overseen by self-storage REIT and third-party management firm Public Storage, and branded under its name. ARCO/Murray provided architectural, engineering, permitting and construction services. The company is a national general contractor with more than 25 years of experience.

Best Storage NW opened in Sumner, Wash. The facility at 16290 Auto Lane comprises 79,475 square feet in 742 units. It was designed by Jeff Walls of Studio19 Architects in Seattle, and developed and built by Roger Hebert. The property is owned by Hebert Brothers – Best Storage NW LLC and will be managed by WCSSG.

Cherney Development Co. Inc. and The Daniel Group Inc. received approval to convert a former Kmart in Danville, Va. They plan to subdivide the 8.19-acre shopping center at 3311 Riverside Drive and redevelop the vacant building. Cherney has extensive experience in constructing and transforming commercial, big-box, residential, industrial-manufacturing and warehouse properties. The Daniel Group specializes in real estate development, management and equipment-rental services in the Southeast.

Green Storage, which operates three facilities in Bromma, Stockholm, opened its fourth location in the city, according to Janus International, which provided automation products for the new site. The 500-unit facility is at the intersection of Norrbyvägen and Ulvsundavägen, near Bromma Stockholm Airport. Green Storage opened its first facility in 2019 and has two more under construction.

Guardian Storage, which owns 27 facilities in Colorado and Pennsylvania, is developing a new facility in Seven Fields, Pa. Slated to open in the spring, the 5-acre property at 200 High Pointe Drive will contain a four-story, 86,375-square-foot building with 737 units. Guardian invested $13 million into the project. The building will be constructed with a combination of masonry, glass and metal exteriors over steel framing and reinforced concrete foundations. It’ll be designed by Desmone Architects and built by ARCO/Murray. Established in Pittsburgh in 1987, Guardian operates 19 locations in Greater Pittsburgh and eight in Colorado.

U.K. self-storage operator Lok’nStore Group PLC intends to build a new facility in Peterborough, England. The company agreed to acquire a 1-acre parcel on Maskew Avenue that’s part of a larger mixed-use plan being pursued by a joint venture between investment firm Bridges Fund Management Ltd. and commercial real estate developer Chancerygate Ltd. If approved, the project would comprise up to 200,000 square feet of hospitality, industrial, retail, self-storage and warehouse space on more than 8.6 acres. Founded in 1995, Lok'nStore operates 34 self-storage facilities in Southern England.

Longleaf Pines Storage intends to build a new facility in Southern Pines, N.C. The two-story structure would be built on a 3-acre site on U.S. Highway 1, near Pennsylvania Avenue. A conditional rezoning hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8. A community petition in opposition to the rezoning has garnered several hundred signatures. Longleaf officials said they’re interested in scheduling a meeting with neighbors to address their concerns.

Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement chain that also builds and operates self-storage facilities, is converting a former Shopko building in Lake Hallie, Wis. The company acquired the structure in October and has already begun preliminary site work. It expects to begin construction in December, with the project expected to be complete next year. Menards operates eight facilities in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Metro Storage LLC, which operates more than 135 properties in 15 U.S. states and Canada under the Metro Self-Storage brand, is building a new facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The development at 138 Chain Lake Drive in the Bayer’s Lake Business Park will have four stories and comprise 120,000 square feet. Metro also opened phase one of its redevelopment of 201 Joseph Zatzman Drive in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The expansion will add more than 55,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage.

Padlock Partners UK Fund I will take over a self-storage development in Newmarket England, after acquiring the land and project. The facility at Plot 200, Willie Snaith Road will comprise 48,000 net rentable square feet. It’s expected to be complete in December 2021. The fund acquired the land for £619,500 and the structures for £2.8 million, including a 16,423-square-foot warehouse under construction. It expects to invest another £1.8 million in the project. The fund specializes in self-storage and mixed-use development. It’s portfolio includes self-storage properties in Leighton Buzzard and Letchworth, England.

Quinlan Development Group, a privately held real estate investment and development company based in New York City, is converting the former Ploch's Garden Center in Clifton, N.J., to self-storage. Plans for the 1.85-acre property at 1172 Broad St. were approved in 2018.

Seaton and Jill Smith received approval to build three self-storage structures in Powell, Wyo., on rural land they own near their home. Plans include 19,800 square feet of traditional storage to be constructed in stages. Another 15,600 square feet of three-sided outdoor storage for vehicle parking could be built in the future. The Smiths considered converting a 3,200-square-foot building they once used for milling to climate-controlled storage, but ultimately decided not to move forward.

South Boston Self Storage opened in South Boston, Va. The facility at 1079 Bill Tuck Highway is owned by John Cannon. It offers 191 units and will be managed by Tiffany Conner. Plans for another building are underway.

Storage Authority LLC, which operates facilities in Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, and offers franchise opportunities, opened a new franchise in Land O’ Lakes, Fla. The facility at 6276 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. comprises 61,220 square feet. The company also has an 80,000-square-foot franchisee location under development in Kissimmee, Fla. 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.

U.K. self-storage operator Storage King will build a new facility adjacent to an existing location in Chester, England. The project on Hartford Way will require demolishing the vacant Excellent Hand Car Wash and Valeting Centre. The site was originally greenlit for self-storage in 2017, but the current development required new approval. Storage King operates 28 facilities across the U.K. comprising more than 1 million square feet.

Canadian self-storage company Vaultra Asset Management opened a Vaultra Self-Storage location in Toronto. The facility at 200 Fairbank Ave. comprises 260,000 square feet. The company partnered with My Lauft Inc. to provide several flexible workspaces and a smart boardroom, which can be booked on demand through a mobile app. Founded in 2014, Vaultra operates 11 facilities in Canada and has 15 sites under development in Greater Toronto.

11/5/20 – 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 November 2020.

AAA Storage, which operates 12 facilities in Florida and Texas, opened a new location in Lakeland, Fla. The facility at 339 N. Gary Road is managed by Shelby Kaye and her husband, Toby Kaye. An Oct. 30 grand opening was hosted by the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. Headquartered in Texas, AAA Storage is independently owned.

Andrew Porter Ltd. has expanded its facility in Kendal, England. It’s the fifth enlargement since the facility opened in December 2018. Twenty-seven units were added to the existing 111 indoor and exterior units. Another addition of 20 drive-up units is already underway. Andrew Porter also provides moving services.

A partnership between Bluebird Self-Storage and private equity real estate firm NYX Capital Corp. opened facilities in Burlington and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Burlington location at 1770 Appleby Line comprises 116,200 net rentable square feet. The Toronto facility at 1450 Don Mills Road, converted from a former post-office building, comprises 151,000 rentable square feet. Since its inception in 1983, Bluebird has developed and operated nearly 100 locations across Canada and the United States. The company indicated it intends to double its 11-facility portfolio in the next six months.

A joint venture between real estate firms Captiva Capital Partners, CVA Commercial Group and GoldOller Real Estate Investments opened a self-storage facility in Philadelphia. The property at 1645 N. American St. comprises 800 units and 40 vehicle-storage spaces. The site will be managed by real estate investment trust (REIT) CubeSmart. The partnership has plans for several more real estate projects in the Philadelphia area.

Self-storage development firm Cedar Creek Wealth intends to convert the Idaho Statesman newspaper building in Boise, Idaho. The company is in the process of acquiring the 105,000-square foot structure at 1200 N. Curtis Road. Plans are to retain the building’s exterior but add a second floor within the large pressroom. The existing second floor in other areas of the building, about 6,000 square feet, will be earmarked for office-rental space or records storage, according to A.J. Osborne, co-owner of Cedar Creek. The project is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2021. The facility will be branded under Storelocal, a cooperative created by independent self-storage operators to offer member benefits with economies of scale. Cedar Creek also operates facilities under the Keylock Storage name.

First Columbia and Hampstead America LLC are converting the former Fitzgerald Bros. bottling plant in Troy, N.Y., to self-storage. The renovations will span three adjacent buildings at 494, 498 and 500 River St. Once complete, the multi-story facility will comprise more than 100,000 square feet in 1,000 units, including warehouse space up to 5,000 square feet, according to Nathaniel Bette, project manager for First Columbia. It’ll be managed by self-storage REIT Life Storage Inc. and branded under its name.

GYS Development LLC opened a three-story, mixed-use self-storage facility in Eerie, Colo. The property at 1012 Carbon Court comprises 101,202 square feet in 644 units. The building includes 7,800 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. GYS specializes in self-storage acquisitions and development, and co-manages the Blue Sky Self Storage brand. It’s is a division of Grow Your Storage LLC, a Texas-based property-management firm.

GYS also completed construction on a three-story facility in Glendale, Ariz., which it sold in a Certificate-of-Occupancy deal to Guardian Self Storage/StorAmerica, a participating regional operator of National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSAT). The facility at 5205 N. 99th Ave. comprises 102,300 gross square feet in 732 units.

In addition, GYS is set to break ground this month on a new development in Glendale. The three-story facility at 5315 W. Bell Road will comprise 100,002 square feet in 647 units. The project is expected to be complete next fall. The developer recently acquired the property from Arizona-based Diversified Partners LLC.

Horne Partners LLC is seeking zoning approval from the Santa Clarita, Calif., City Council to build a three-story self-storage facility on the southwest corner of Golden Valley Road and Valley Center Drive. The planning commission supported the project in September after the developer agreed to add two electric vehicle-charging stations and landscaping along Golden Valley Road. Plans for the vacant 2.2-acre site include a 156,000-square-foot structure nearly 58 feet tall with a clock tower. The property will contain 1,200 units, a business office and 21 vehicle-storage spaces, 16 of which will be gated. Although three stories, the structure will appear as only two stories to blend with nearby commercial buildings, according to project architect Jim Goodman of James Goodman Architecture.

Real estate development firm JBC Properties opened Sigma Drive Self Storage in the Nexton community of Summerville, S.C. The facility at 461 Sigma Drive comprises 75,020 rentable square feet in 682 units. The site is adjacent to Interstate 26. It’ll be managed by Absolute Storage Management (ASM), a third-party management company. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., ASM operates more than 100 properties in 13 states.

McCarthy’s Storage World, which operates four facilities in England, converted the former Dixons Car Phone Warehouse in Huddersfield, England. The £5m project is part of the Phoenix Retail Park, which McCarthy purchased. The park also houses a furniture store, now a McCarthy’s tenant. McCarthy’s Storage World is the operating brand for MJ McCarthy Holdings Ltd. Founded more than 50 years ago, it also provides moving services, records storage, shredding and other business services.

S3 Storage Solution LLC opened The Storage Haven in Court Charlotte, N.C. The facility at 10023 Callabridge is in the Mountain Island Lake area. It offers climate-controlled and drive-up units as well as vehicle-storage spaces. Fourth Elm Construction LLC was the general contractor. The facility is managed by The Atomic Storage Group, an industry consulting and management firm. Under the direction of Andy Bilmanis, S3 provides design, development and construction-management services.

Self Storage Group ASA, which operates the City Self-Storage and OK Minilager brands, has acquired a property in Sandefjord, Norway, on which it plans to build a new facility. The property at Pindsleveien 8C has a value of NOK 14.1 million, with an estimated rentable area of 19,375 square feet. Slated to open next spring, it’ll operate under the OK Minilager brand. Self Storage Group operates 113 facilities across Scandinavia with a current rentable area of 1.5 million square feet.

Storage North Ltd. received approval to build a four-story facility in Tameside, North West England. Located off Raynor Lane, it’ll contain 53,819 square feet and operate as SureStore, which operates eight facilities in the Midlands and North England.

Storage Solutions Salem opened in Salem, Ore. The facility at 2547 Salem Dallas Highway N.W. comprises 36,630 square feet in 212 units. It also contains a limited number of larger units that offer electricity for vehicle storage or businesses that need warehouse space. Designed by Multi-Tech Engineering Services Inc., the property was developed by Trademark Enterprises LLC and built by Bloedel Custom Homes LLC. It’s owned by Storage Solutions NW LLC and will be managed by West Coast Self-Storage Group (WCSSG), a property-management, acquisition and development company headquartered in Everett, Wash. WCSSG operates 75 managed and owned locations in California, Oregon and Washington.

The Orange County, Va., Planning Commission has recommended that the board of supervisors approve a zoning amendment and special-use permit to allow a new storage development by Storeland LLC in Locust Grove, Va. The project proposed for the 10.8-acre parcel near the intersection of Flat Run Road and Virginia State Route 20 would include 620 units to be built in phases. Owned by Kenny Dotson and Wells Waugh, the site adjoins Lake of the Woods, a gated subdivision. Its frontage along Route 20 would include landscaping to screen the buildings from the roadway, according to Steve McLean, owner of Storeland LLC. The company also operates a facility in Culpeper, Va.

Real estate investment firm Turnstone Group LLC received zoning approval to move forward with a self-storage project in Newnan, Ga. The city council voted 6-1 to change zoning for the 3.2-acre site on Diplomat Parkway from general commercial to heavy commercial, with conditions limiting the development to indoor, climate-controlled storage. The project will comprise 70,000 rentable square feet in 850 units and a 1,200-square-foot management office. It’ll be built behind the construction site for a Woodsprings Suites hotel, which Turnstone is also developing. It’ll be managed by self-storage REIT CubeSmart. Founded in 2001, Turnstone is based in Atlanta.

The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, opened a new location in West Sacramento, Calif. The facility at 3005 Ramco St. is near restaurants and retail. Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG acquires, develops and operates more than 165 self-storage facilities in 14 states.

New Sources: 
Cision, Padlock Partners UK Fund I Announces Acquisition of Land and Development Agreement in Newmarket, England
Danville Register and Bee, Old Danville Kmart Building to Be Used for Self-Storage
Insider Media Limited, JV Acquires Peterborough Site for Speculative Scheme
North Jersey, What's Going There? In Clifton, Former Ploch's Garden Center Is Becoming a Storage Center
Patch, Best Storage NW Opening Saturday November 7th
Powell Tribune, New Self-Storage Business Approved in Rural Powell
PR Newswire, Metro Self-Storage Announces Expansions Plans
The Gazette Virginian, Investor Opens New Business: South Boston Self Storage
The Pilot, Discussion Continued to December for Proposed Indoor Storage Facility on U.S. 1
The Standard, Green Light for Self-Storage Unit Plans at Chester Car Wash Site
WQOW, You Ask, We Answer: What is happening to the former Lake Hallie Shopko?
The Pilot, Plans for Proposed Storage Facility Reviewed

Previous Sources:
The Daily Ridge, AAA Storage Hosts Grand Opening With Ribbon Cutting
Patch.com, New Storage Facility Opens in Salem, Oregon
Cumbria Crack, Kendal Self Storage Firm Expands Again Despite Lockdown
The Record, Historic Troy Beer Bottling Plant to be Rehabbed
The Signal, City to Consider 3-Story Storage Facility in Saugus
Bdaily News, Yorkshire Storage Specialist Invests £5m in New Huddersfield Unit
The Business Desk, Self Storage Firm Invests £5m in New Site
The Daily Progress, Route 20 rezoning: Commission Recommends Approval of Locust Grove Self-Storage Site
Market Screener, Self Storage Group ASA : - Acquisition of new property in Sandefjord, Norway
Manchester Evening News, Huge New Self Storage Facility, Affordable Homes and Controversial Supported Housing Scheme Approved
Benzinga, New Self Storage Facility Opened in Summerville, South Carolina
Daily Commercial News, Bluebird Self-Storage Opens Three Ontario Outlets
Idaho Statesman, Statesman to Sell Its Building After 48 years
PRWeb, New Self Storage Facility Opens in Fishtown
The Newnan Times-Herald, Indoor Self-Storage Proposed for Diplomat Parkway
Yahoo Finance, StorQuest Opens Modern Self Storage Facility in West Sacramento, CA