Update: 12/15/2014 − The proposed self-storage development, estimated to cost about $10 million, is also being backed by the board of directors of the Coliseum Central Business Improvement District (BID), a special service-taxing district authorized under Virginia Commonwealth Law. Board members said the storage development would help "underserved" markets, the source reported.
"The proposed development will transform a blighted, abandoned parcel into an aesthetically pleasing and unique use within Coliseum Central," the board said.
The city's community plan calls for mixed-use development for the land. The Coliseum Central master plan states the property should "create dense, connected and pedestrian-friendly activity centers" in the area, according to the source.
Steve Romine, a Norfolk, Va.-based attorney representing the developer, told the planning commission during the Dec. 4 meeting the storage facility would be a “high-quality, urban-design-type building.” Romine said possible property uses that wouldn’t require a zoning change include a detention facility, massage parlor, tattoo parlor and Turkish bath. The facility’s size would rival that of a nearby single-story, 183,000-square-foot Walmart, the source reported.
The Coliseum Central BID encompasses more than 1,900 commercial acres and represents more than 700 Hampton, Va., property owners and businesses.
12/5/14 − A proposed self-storage development in Hampton, Va., is one step closer to approval despite opposition from the city’s planning staff. Planning commission members voted 5-1 on Dec. 4 to recommend the council approve the storage development.
The city's planning staff asked the commission to deny the application from Michael D. Sifen Inc. to rezone the property at 1975 Cunningham Drive, which formerly housed a restaurant and club. They said changing the zoning would allow development that’s too dense for the area, the source reported. The city council will review the proposal at a future meeting.
The project includes a four-story, 135,000-square-foot storage facility with 900 units. It will have 27 parking spaces as well as 1,000 square feet of retail space. The facility will have three employees and be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sources:
- Daily Press: Four-Story Storage Facility Proposed Near Hampton Walmart
- Daily Press : Self-Storage Proposed Near Hampton Walmart
