November 11, 2022

20 Min Read
Self-Storage Development and Zoning Activity: February 2022

Update 11/10/22 – Construction has progressed at the Amazing Spaces self-storage project in Houston. The 10-story structure is ahead of schedule and is now expected to be complete by spring 2023. The Southwest Freeway site will be the sixth facility in the company’s portfolio.

9/2/22 – The KCT Inc. self-storage project on Nepperhan Avenue in Yonkers, New York, will comprise 77,000 rentable square feet in 949 units. The project is expected to be complete in late 2023. The company has secured an $18.3 million construction loan from Parkview Financial LLC. The facility was designed by Orlando, Florida-based Eleven18 Architecture. JCT Development will serve as general contractor.

3/8/22 - Storage Deluxe received the approval it needed to develop a CubeSmart storage facility in Montclair, New Jersey. In a Feb. 28, meeting, the Montclair Planning Board voted unanimously on the project after the developer altered its design to accommodate concerns from the property’s neighbors, including a CVS Pharmacy and BrassWorks office building.

The revised development plan decreases the building’s square footage from 82,600 to 73,600, and the number of units from 750 to 665. In addition, the structure’s height was reduced to 33 feet, 10 inches, and the property will feature more landscaping. The changes were well-received by board members and the adjacent business owners, with Robert Silver, owner of BrassWorks, calling in with his approval. The attorney representing CVS said his client decided not to provide a statement at the meeting.

2/17/22 – 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 February 2022.

Real estate developer 1969 Central Park Avenue LLC intends to build a mixed-use project on a 1.32-acre site in Yonkers, New York. The $15.8 million project at 1969 Central Park Ave. would comprise 91,181 square feet of self-storage and 5,815 square feet of ground-level retail space. Construction is expected to take 14 months. The project has received preliminary approval to receive financial incentives from the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (YIDA), including exemptions from mortgage-recording tax and sales tax, and a 30-year PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program.

Entrepreneurs Chad Anderson and Nam Ly intend to build a self-storage facility in Centerville, Minnesota. The project inside the Royal Industrial Park at 2010 Fairview St. would comprise two 10,400-square-foot buildings, each with eight large units measuring 20-by-50 feet. The site would target collectors and tradespeople as well as organizations that conduct business-to-business operations. Though the industrial park isn’t set up for retail business, the proposed units would have restrooms and running water as well as up to three parking spaces. The project requires a conditional-use permit. Planners held a public hearing on Feb. 1, which was continued until March 1. If their project is approved, Anderson and Ly expect to break ground in July, with both buildings complete by November.

Cumbria Storage Solutions opened a new self-storage facility in Workington, England. The converted building at Unit 6 Lowther Road in the Clay Flatts Industrial Estate is adjacent to sister business Cumbria Caravan Storage. Both businesses are owned by managing directors Richard and Sarah Miller. The couple opened their first self-storage location in Wigton, England, in 2019.

Doug Duncan, co-owner of Ellettsville Affordable Self-Storage, received approval to expand his facility in Bloomington, Indiana. Duncan plans to add five storage structures comprising 23,600 square feet in 112 units at 5050 State Route 46, using 2.5 acres of the 10-acre site. They’re expected to be complete in April. The facility currently offers 30,000 square feet of storage, some of which is climate controlled. Duncan and business partner David Hays also own Bloomington Affordable Self Storage in the city.

A vote on a zoning request by Friendship 24 LLC to build a self-storage facility on 24 acres in South Hall, Georgia, has been pushed to March 7. Premier Storage at 1639 Friendship Road would include 243,500 square feet of self-storage, plus about 10 acres for outdoor vehicle storage. The property is zoned as agricultural-residential and contains a single-family rental home built in 1983, a mobile home and a barn. The county planning staff recommended denying the request, as the future land-use map declares the property to be zoned as residential. The planning board will offer its recommendation to the Hall County Board of Commissioners, which will have final say.

GreenSpace Holdings LLC is developing a three-story self-storage project in North Stafford, Virginia. Expected to open in summer, it’s the company’s first facility in the state. Like the company’s other buildings, the multi-story structure on State Route 610 near Parkway Boulevard will incorporate surplus shipping containers. Based in Houston and founded by David Ledoux and Rick Stockton, GreenSpace launched its patent-pending design in 2015. It operates one site in White Marsh, Maryland; two in Pearland, Texas; and one in Houston, with plans to expand into New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

A partnership between Holman-Farrar Holdings LLC and United Properties Group (UPG) intends to renovate and expand Ranch Road Storage in San Marcos, Texas. The project could include demolishing at least part of the existing structure. The new three-story facility at 1900 Old Ranch Road 12 would have a footprint of 11,875 square feet. It requires a rezoning of the 1.1-acre parcel from future development to light industrial. The city council is expected to consider the application on March 1. The updated facility was designed by San Antonio-based Mauldin Architects. Thomas Holman has owned the property for about three years with his brother and another partner. UPG is a provider of consulting, real estate and management services.

Insite Property Group, the parent company of SecureSpace Self Storage, intends to demolish an existing retail structure and build a new facility on a 2.2-acre lot in North Plainfield, New Jersey. The three-story project at 825 Route 22 would comprise 90,078 square feet. The development requires a use variance as well as site variances for building coverage and height as well as rear setbacks. Based in Torrance, California, InSite has more than 50 self-storage facilities operating or under construction.

Just A Closet Self Storage received a conditional-use permit to build a facility on a vacant, 3.6-acre lot in San Marcos, Texas. The three-story project at 320 Stagecoach Trail, which must still be approved by the city council, would comprise 52,430 square feet. It’s designed by San Antonio-based Dallenbach-Cole Architecture. Just A Closet operates four self-storage facilities, all in Texas.

Real estate developer KCT Inc. intends to build a new, eight-story self-storage facility in Yonkers, New York. The $15.4 million project at 1060 Nepperhan Ave. would comprise about 100,000 square feet in up to 900 units. It’ll be branded and managed by real estate investment trust (REIT) and third-party management firm CubeSmart. The plan calls for the demolition of an existing 9,820-square-foot building, which houses Health Products Corp. The company’s offices and manufacturing plant will be relocated. Construction is expected to take 14 months. KCT received financial-incentive approvals from the YIDA board of directors for a mortgage-recording-tax exemption of $231,573 and a sales-tax exemption of $444,846.

Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) has been asked to revise its plans for Crozet Storage, intended to be built on 2.5 acres in Albemarle County, Virginia. The three-story, 90,000-square-foot facility would sit on 2.5 acres on the northeast corner of Crozet Avenue and U.S Route 250. The Albemarle Architectural Review Board (ARB) first considered the proposal in September, requesting changes to the design and asking for renderings. MRP presented a new plan in December, but ARB members were displeased about the building’s footprint and the fact that it didn’t incorporate features and materials reflecting the area’s architecture. The board voted against approving the initial plan and asked MRP to address 17 issues in its final site plan, which was due on Feb. 7. The ARB will review the application again on March 21. MRP is a development and acquisition-investment platform owned by Protective Life Insurance Corp.

A public meeting about a proposed expansion of Pro Self Storage in Tiny, Ontario, Canada, discussed whether the addition would have a negative impact on the Eastern Whippoorwill, an endangered bird species. Storage owner Shawn Freer is seeking permission to build six new structures containing 12 large units at the back of 306 Concession 13 E. During the rezoning meeting, Victoria Lemieux, senior planner for Morgan Planning & Development Inc., provided a report that showed the expansion would be outside the areas that could cause harm to the birds. She also noted that Freer “went to such a degree to do such a thorough environmental review for the application.” City staff is expected to provide the council a recommendation at a future meeting. Family-owned and -operated, Pro Self Storage offers traditional and vehicle storage as well as oversized units.

Real estate developer Royal Mimico Developments Ltd. is seeking rezoning to build a mixed-use facility in Toronto that’ll include residential condos, office and retail space, and self-storage. The L-shaped parcel at 266 Royal York Road contains an existing low-rise, light-industrial building that would be demolished. It would be replaced with a 37-story condo building with ground-level retail and an eight-story self-storage structure with flexible office space. The project is being designed by IBI Group Inc.

Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based REIT Public Storage, received a permit to convert a building in Sartrouville, France, to self-storage. The facility will comprise about 5,000 square meters in approximately 800 units. It’s expected to be complete before year-end. Shurgard has four other development projects in its pipeline for the Paris market. The operator’s total portfolio includes 255 properties comprising more than 1.3 million net rentable square meters in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K.

Stack-N-Stor opened a self-storage facility in Milton, New York, the company’s first. The 600-unit building at 885 Rock City Road will also serve the communities of Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs. It’ll be managed by Storage Asset Management, a property-management and consulting company. Stack-N-Stor has two more facilities under development in Patterson and Rotterdam, New York, which are expected to open next year.

Hot Rod Shop owner Gary Studley intends to expand his Monroe, North Carolina, business by building three self-storage structures adjacent to an area where he restores classic cars and builds hot rods. The project would require rezoning 6.4 acres of residential property along 3229 Waxhaw Highway. Studley has used the land to host car shows but recently told Union County planners the storage facility would benefit his existing business, allowing the storage of cars waiting for parts. The rezoning is supported by the planning board and would also bring the auto business into compliance with current zoning regulations. It was previously grandfathered under old rules.

Tranquil Woods Storage received initial approval to build a facility in Green Oak Township, Michigan. Plans for the 10-acre parcel off Ten Mile Road include five single-story buildings and two canopy structures for vehicle storage. The site will also have 59 uncovered vehicle-parking spaces. Final approval for the project is expected to happen at the next meeting, pending landscaping and buffering issues. If approved, construction will begin in spring, with completion expected in eight to 12 months.

Phoenix-based. U-Haul International Inc. is converting the former Maiers Transport & Warehousing facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to self-storage. Plans for the 17.83-acre property at 700 54th Ave. include building 650 climate-controlled units inside the 82,864-square-foot building. The company is offering retail and hitch installation, with storage units expected to be available for rental this summer. Established in 1945, U-Haul owns and manages more than 71 million square feet of storage space nationwide.

A revised proposal by Vision Marlboro of Matawan to build a self-storage facility in a land-conservation zone in Marlboro, New Jersey, was continued to March 22 after zoning-board members raised concerns about land conservation and stormwater management. The development includes two three-story structures comprising 74,592 square feet each at 198 Tennent Road. The original proposal included two two-story buildings flanked by four single-story structures comprising a total of 153,200 square feet.

West Coast Self Storage Group (WCSSG) opened a new facility in Lacey, Washington. The property at 3933-B Pacific Ave. S.E. comprises 51,765 rentable square feet in 647 units. Designed by Jackson | Main Architecture, it was built by Parkway Construction and is owned by NWB Lacey LLC. Headquartered in Everett, Washington, WCSSG is a property-management, acquisition and development company. It operates 96 managed and owned locations in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

The William Warren Group, a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, opened a new location in Phoenix. The 3.2-acre property at 3750 S. 51st Ave. contains eight single-story buildings comprising 52,332 square feet. Farmers and Merchants Bank provided $3.9 million in construction financing. StorQuest operates more than 200 locations nationwide.

2/3/22 – 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 February 2022.

Amazing Spaces broke ground on a new self-storage facility in Houston. The property at 3120 Southwest Freeway will serve the communities of Greenway Plaza, River Oaks and Upper Kirby. Launched in 1998, Amazing Spaces has five locations in the Houston metropolitan area. In addition to traditional self-storage units, the facilities offer boat/RV storage, wine storage and more.

Ash Properties Inc., a property-development and -management company that operates the Atlantic Self Storage brand, intends to develop a four-story facility on the site of a former nightclub in Jacksonville, Florida. The project at 859 Willow Branch Ave. would comprise 150,000 square feet. The goal is to demolish the former Metro Entertainment Complex, which as built in 1941 and closed last August. Ash acquired the 3.4-acre property in September for $1.85 million. Atlantic operates 51 self-storage locations, all in Florida. Ash is a locally owned real estate development company that leases, manages and develops commercial, retail, self-storage and office properties.

CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust and management company, received approval to tear down a dilapidated warehouse in Newark, Delaware, and replace it with a mixed-use building that’ll include climate-controlled storage, office and retail space. The three-story project at 1 Forge Drive in the Tralee Industrial Park will comprise 110,000 square feet. CubeSmart owns or manages 1,258 self-storage facilities nationwide. Its operating portfolio comprises about 87 million square feet.

Double J Court Self Storage, which operates five facilities in Wickenburg, Arizona, has added three new buildings to its property at 855 S. Vulture Mine Road. They comprise 10,000 square feet in 80 units, bringing the sites total units to 180. The facility opened in 2017 with two structures, and two more were added a year later. Founded in 1994, Double J Court is owned by Bill Green.

In a partnership with MV Investment, Miller Valentine Construction (MVC) is developing a self-storage facility in Tallahassee, Florida. The three-story building on West Tennessee Street will offer 118,500 square feet of climate-controlled storage. Slated to open in late 2022, it’ll be managed by CubeSmart and branded under its name. Founded in 1963, MVC has developed more than 100 million square feet of commercial real estate and 15,000 multi-family units in more than 25 states.

The MVI/MVC partnership also opened a new self-storage facility in Ormond Beach, Florida. The three-story building at 263 S. Nova Road comprises 94,800 square feet. It’ll be managed by self-storage REIT CubeSmart and branded under its name.

Rent-A-Space intends to develop a new self-storage facility in Winsford, England. The project on Road One in the Winsford Industrial Estate complex would comprise 60,000 square feet of self-storge and flexible business space, including offices and studios. If approved, the project is expected to be complete this winter. Based in England, Rent-A-Space is owned by Andrew Donaldson and Kevin Murphy.

Safeguard Self Storage, which operates 79 facilities nationwide, has opened a new location in Clearwater, Florida. The property at 28795 U.S. Highway 19 N. offers climate-controlled units and vehicle storage. Safeguard operates three storage sites in Southwest Florida and 17 in the state.

Steven Kaplan, owner of South Salem Self Storage in South Salem, New York, is facing obstacles in his quest to expand his property. Kaplan submitted an application to the Lewisboro Planning Board to construct two new buildings comprising a combined 2,846 square feet on the 1-acre property at 397 Smith Ridge Road. They’d be behind two existing storage structures that contain a total of 6,712 square feet. The issue is they’d encroach upon 9,200 square feet of a wetland buffer, providing mitigation for only about 72%. The developer is required to provide one-to-one mitigation, according to planning officials. To meet the requirement, Kaplan will attempt to obtain an easement from the property’s rear neighbor.

Storage Deluxe, which operates 21 facilities in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, intends to develop a new facility on a triangular property in Montclair, New Jersey. The multi-story project at 103 Grove St. would comprise 82,664 square feet in 750 units. It would share a driveway with the neighboring BrassWorks office building. The development requires approval of several variances for setback requests, building height and parking. The planning board recently extended a public hearing to Feb. 28.

Trojan Storage, which operates 33 locations along the West Coast, opened a new facility in Commerce, California. The two-story building at 6200 Garfield Ave. stretches for more than a quarter-mile and comprises 191,950 rentable square feet in 1,681 units. It was built in a federally designated Opportunity Zone.

Phoenix-based. U-Haul International Inc. is developing a storage facility on 9 acres in Danville, Virginia. The property is east of Park Avenue and northwest of Riverview Drive. Expected to be complete next year, the multi-story building will comprise more than 100,000 square feet in 700 units.

U-Haul is also converting a former Kmart store in Rock Springs, Wyoming, into a self-storage and truck-rental center. Built on 8 acres at 2450 Foothill Blvd., the 89,792-square-foot retail building will yield more than 700 indoor, climate-controlled units. U-Haul acquired the property in December. It owns four other facilities in the state. Established in 1945, U-Haul owns and manages more than 71 million square feet of storage space.

Westport Properties Inc., which operates more than 120 US Storage Centers nationwide, has opened a new location in Los Angeles. The facility at 4800 Valley Blvd. comprises 157,116 in 1,182 units. Westport owns 11 million square feet of self-storage space and 638 multi-family units.

William Penn Climate Controlled Self Storage opened in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newly converted facility at 2600 William Penn Highway is owned by husband and wife Juan and Melanie Martinez. The former bi-level warehouse now comprises 25,000 square feet in 110 units.

There are four self-storage projects in various stages of planning and construction in Lakeland, Florida. A project on Lakeland Highlands Road is under construction, while another near Kathleen and Knights Station Roads was recently approved by the planning and zoning board but awaits a site-plan and building-permit review. Planners are also considering a development proposed for 2575 Harden Blvd. A fourth project under consideration for the northwest corner of Lake Parker Avenue and E. Memorial Boulevard would require a land-use amendment and zoning change.

New Source:
Digital Journal, It’s Going to Be Hard to Top This: Amazing Spaces Celebrates a Construction Milestone at Its Newest Property

Previous Sources:
REBusiness Online, Parkview Provides $18.3M Construction Loan for Self-Storage Conversion Project in Yonkers
Real Estate Weekly, Parkview Financial Originates $18.3 Million Construction Loan for Development of a Class A 949-Unit CubeSmart Self-Storage Facility in Yonkers, NY
APP, Marlboro Could Get Self-Storage Buildings Near Peregrine Drive Homes
APP, Marlboro Self-Storage Proposal Put on Hold, Concerns Over Land Conservation, Flooding
Crozet Gazette, Crozet Self-Storage Proposed for Route 250 Corridor
Cumbria Crack, New Self-Storage Facility in Workington Opens
Midland Today, Self-Storage Expansion in Tiny Is for the Birds
Multi-Housing News, StorQuest Expands Phoenix Self Storage Footprint
My Central Jersey, Self-Storage Facility Proposed for Route 22 in North Plainfield
Potomac Local News, Texas Firm Ships a Different Kind of Storage Facility to Stafford County
PR.com, West Coast Self-Storage Opens in Lacey, WA
PR Newswire, Warehouse Conversion: U-Haul Creating New Self-Storage Facility in St. Cloud
PR Web, StorQuest Express Self Storage Expands Reach in Phoenix
Quad Community Press, Centerville Continues Talks on Maxi Storage
Shurgard, Shurgard to Start Converting New Building in the Paris Region (North-West)
The Herald-Times, Demand for Storage in Ellettsville Spurs One Business Owner to Expand
The Times, Latest on Self-Storage and RV, Boat and Truck Parking Proposed at This South Hall Location
The Union County Weekly, Hot Rod Shop Hopes to Add Storage Units
Times Union, New Storage Facility Opening in Milton
Urban Toronto, Condo Tower Plus Self Storage Development Proposed Steps From Mimico GO
Virtual Builders Exchange, San Marcos: Local Storage Facility to Undergo Renovation and Annexation
Virtual Builders Exchange, San Marcos: McAllen Storage Company Developing Facility in Southwest Portion of City
WHMI, RV Storage Facility Moving Forward in Green Oak Township
Westchester & Fairchild County Business Journals, Self-Storage Projects in Yonkers Getting Financial Boosts
Tap Into Montclair, Montclair Planning Board Approves Self-Storage Facility at Grove Street
The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley’s Newest Self Storage Facility Features 24-Hour Access and 110 Climate-Controlled Units
Newark Post, Self-Storage Facility Approved for Marrows
PR.com, Safeguard Self Storage Expands in the Southwest Florida Market
TapInto, Lewisboro Storage Facility Looks to Expand
Virginia Business, U-Haul to Build Self-Storage Facility in Danville
The Wickenburg Sun, Double J Court Self Storage Adds More Storage Units
Yahoo, U-Haul Acquires Land to Bring Jobs and Self-Storage to Danville
Digital Journal, Trojan Storage Announces the Grand Opening of a 191,950 Square Foot Facility in Commerce, California
Jacksonville Daily Record, Metro Nightclub Site to Become Self-Storage Center
Jacksonville Daily Record, Metro Storage Takes Another Step in Riverside
PR Newswire, U-Haul Converting Empty Kmart for Fifth Company Store in Wyoming
Tap Into Montclair, Montclair Planning Board Begins Hearing On Storage Facility Project; Elm Street Apartment Building Hearing Delayed
The Business Desk, Self-Storage Company Boss Announces New Scheme, With ‘More in The Pipeline’
The Ledger, Business of Clutter: 4 New Self-Storage Facilities Planned in Lakeland Amid National Surge
Woodlands Online, New Posh Self Storage Property to Offer Secure Storage Solutions to Greenway Plaza and River Oaks Residents

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