July 20, 2023

20 Min Read
Self-Storage Development and Zoning Activity: June 2023

Update 7/20/23 – Stack Storage received municipal approval for its four-story project in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The zoning board also granted several variances, including a request to change the number of street-parking spaces from the required 30 to 12. In addition, it was agreed that the company can offer three off-street loading and unloading spaces instead of six.

6/29/23 – 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 more activity taking place in June 2023.

3 Key Self Storage opened in Campbellsville, Kentucky. The facility at 439 New Columbia Road offers 350 interior, climate-controlled or drive-up units. It’s managed by Storage Asset Management, a self-storage property-management company based in York, Pennsylvania.

Compass Rose Management, a property-management company based in Cape Coral, Florida, is developing a boat-storage and self-storage facility in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Plans for the first phase on San Carlos Island includes storage for up 286 boats. It’s expected to open next year. A second phase will contain 30,000 square feet of retail, office and self-storage space. Compass Rose owner Jack Mayher also owns Southern Comfort Storage in the same city.

Cooper Cos. broke ground on a self-storage facility in Flagstaff, Arizona. Plans for the property at 1683 W. Route 66 include a three-story building comprising 104,672 square feet in 694 climate-controlled units. It’ll be designed by RKAA Architects, and TLW is the general contractor. Locally owned companies 108 Excavating, Morning Dew Landscaping and SWI Engineering will also work on the project. Founded in 1978 and based in Arizona, Cooper develops, owns and operates self-storage, office and industrial properties in Arizona, Texas and Wisconsin.

Graham Real Estate LLC intends to develop a self-storage facility on a 9-acre lot it recently acquired in Toano, Virginia. The developer purchased 35000 LaGrange Parkway in the Stonehouse Commerce Park for $900,000 from SCP-JTL Stonehouse Owner 1 LLC. Graham is the parent company of MyStorage, which operates eight self-storage facilities in Virginia.

Insite Property Group, which operates the SecureSpace Self Storage brand, opened a new location in Elmsford, New York. The multi-story building at 33 W. Main St. offers interior, climate-controlled units. Based in Torrance, California, InSite has more than 50 facilities operating or under construction.

Residents in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada, requested that the city council remove self-storage and “other passive uses” from current zoning for a site on No. 2 Road, which is targeted by Jim Pattison Enterprises for a self-storage development. In a letter to officials, residents said the proposed two-story facility was a “jarring departure” from the historical architecture of the London Landing area. They also cited safety and wildlife concerns. No public hearing was required prior to permitting because self-storage is a granted use for the property. The site is surrounded by residential and commercial buildings. Jim Pattison Enterprises is an affiliate division of The Jim Pattison Group, a Canada-based holding company with diverse business interests across automotive, advertising, food and beverage, financial, real estate, and other industries.

Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement chain that also builds and operates self-storage facilities, intends to develop a new storage location on a vacant, 8-acre parcel near one of its retail stores in Rochester, Minnesota. The project at 6733 Prairie Vista Drive N.W. would comprise more than 101,000 rentable square feet in 538 units and 106 vehicle-storage spaces. Menards operates 11 self-storage facilities in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Mini Mall Storage has added a climate-controlled building to its facility in West Memphis, Arkansas. The expansion adds 140 units to the location at 701 Highway 77. The site also offers traditional, drive-up units as well as covered vehicle-storage spaces.

Mini Mall also opened a new facility at 3021 Franklin Ave. in New Orleans. The site is near commercial and retail businesses. Founded in 1977, Mini Mall operates more than 180 self-storage locations in Canada and the United States. It’s a subsidiary of Avenue Living Asset Management, which manages agricultural, commercial, residential and self-storage properties in North America.

Poverni Sheikh Group LLC received approvals from the Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, Council to build a self-storage facility along U.S. Route 13 near Airport Road and Silvi Avenue. The three-story, 36,000-square-foot structure will sit on a consolidated, 2.5-acre lot. Existing buildings will be demolished, and vehicles stored on the site will be removed. The council agreed to change the zoning on the property from light manufacturing to commercial. Poverni will incorporate street improvements as part of the project, including the addition of curbs on Silvi Avenue. Poverni is a vertically integrated real estate development company that specializes in commercial, multi-family and self-storage properties across the mid-Atlantic.

Store Space Self Storage, which owns, operates and third-party manages more than 100 self-storage properties in 22 states, opened a new location in Loganville, Georgia. The facility at 4341 Atlanta Highway comprises 72,524 net rentable square feet in 756 climate-controlled units. Based in Winter Garden, Florida, Store Space has a portfolio totaling more than 8 million square feet.

Thompson Thrift Retail Group intends to develop a mixed-use project in Glendale, Arizona, that would include apartments in addition to a Thompson Thrift Storage facility. The project targeted for the southeast corner of 99th and Northern Avenues would span 24 acres, with 13 devoted to self-storage and 11 set aside for the 234-unit apartment complex. The city council was scheduled to review a project-related rezoning request on Tuesday. Founded in 1986, Thompson Thrift is a full-service real estate development firm that specializes in commercial, mixed-use and residential projects.

VHB Inc., a civil-engineering consulting and design firm headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, is seeking approval to build a self-storage facility in the Waterleigh Village Shopping Center in Winter Garden, Florida. The facility would be constructed behind the existing Publix supermarket. Residents spoke against the project during a June 8 community meeting. The county board was expected to discuss it on June 20.

Vision 214 High QOZB Inc. is facing opposition in its plans to build self-storage in Glassboro, New Jersey. The zoning board has delayed its decision on the project for 214 E. High St. until July to allow the developer to work with community members. Initial plans for the property include a three-story building comprising 115,542 square feet.

Developer Jim Zhao received approval to build self-storage in Hyattsville, Maryland, after the Frederick County Board of Appeals ruled in his favor. The site plan for the 8.02 acres on the corner of Fire Tower Road and Maryland Route 355 was rejected by the Frederick County Planning Commission in September when board members sided with residents about certain aspects of the project. The board of appeals ruled in January that the commission’s denial was “arbitrary and capricious,” according to county documents. Zhao updated the site plan to address these concerns and agreed to other stipulations from the planning commission. The facility will feature 19 buildings including an office comprising 138,075 square feet.

6/15/23 – 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 June 2023.

All Secure Self Storage received approval to merge two parcels and remove a utility easement for a development in the Haldewang subdivision of Warsaw, Indiana. The self-storage facility will be built in phases on 3.4 acres along Enterprise Drive, with three buildings planned for the initial phase. McCollough Scholten Construction Inc. will serve as general contractor, and Debra Hughes of Surveying & Mapping is the civil engineer. Construction is expected to begin later this month and be complete by Oct. 1. All Secure operates 26 self-storage locations in Indiana and two in Michigan.

U.K. self-storage operator Big Yellow Group PLC has opened a new flagship facility in the Kings Cross district of London. The property offers more than 1,600 self-storage units in addition to 13 flex-office spaces and 400 wine-storage units. It features a large art installation titled “Quantum Entanglement,” created by local artist Danny Rolph. It also includes eco-friendly elements such as rooftop solar panels, air-source heat pumps, water-saving devices, and biodiversity housing for local birds, bats and insects.

Big Yellow is also converting the former Sainsbury's Supermarket in Slough, England, to a three-story self-storage facility. The Slough Borough Council approved the Farnham Road project in April. Big Yellow Group operates 109 self-storage locations in the United Kingdom under the Big Yellow Self Storage and Armadillo brand names, with most concentrated in Greater London and Southeast England. Its total portfolio comprises 6.3 million rentable square feet.

Bulwark LLC intends to build a four-story self-storage facility on two moderately wooded parcels in Farmington, Connecticut. Located at 8120 and 8122 Colt Highway, also known as Route 6, the project will comprise 79,200 square feet across approximately 5 acres. A special permit is required. The town’s inland-wetlands commission approved a different permit in March. Bulwark is owned by partners Matthew Morris and David Pulley.

Container Team Ltd. received permission to convert the former Tilcon Mortar Plant on Viking Place in Cardiff, Wales, to a container-storage facility. The site also includes a vacant parcel. Founded in 2002 by husband-and-wife team Hazel and Tim Edwards, Container Team operates six other facilities in England.

InSite Property Group, which operates the SecureSpace Self Storage brand, opened a newly constructed facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The three-story building at 300 Woodbourne Road shares access with a CarMax dealership and Sam’s Club. Based in Torrance, California, InSite has more than 50 locations either open or under development.

The Bessemer, Michigan, Planning Commission recommended approval for a zoning amendment that would allow John Medved to develop a self-storage facility along U.S. Route 2. The adjustment would permit self-storage as a conditional use in C-2 and country estates zones. Conditions include prohibition of commercial distribution from units as well as storing hazardous materials. There are also prescribed requirements for lighting and the size of drive aisles. The proposal will now go before the city council.

Saratoga Storage opened in Lehi, Utah. The facility at 4117 W. Orinda Drive offers drive-up and temperature-controlled units.

Shurgard Self Storage Ltd., the European affiliate of U.S.-based real estate investment trust (REIT) Public Storage Inc., has added a second building to its facility in Randstad, Netherlands. The new structure comprises 48,437 square feet in 570 units. The property now offers 1,200 storage spaces. Shurgard operates 267 self-storage properties comprising 1.4 million net rentable square meters in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The Allentown, Pennsylvania, Zoning Hearing Board tabled discussion of a proposed Stack Storage facility when the number of units mentioned by a company representative didn’t match the quantity advertised in the public notice. Though no members of the public objected to the proposal, board members were concerned that potential approval based on a false number of units could establish a poor legal precedent. The project targeted for 2118-2124 Hanover Ave. would comprise about 86,250 rentable square feet in 868 units, but the hearing advertisement indicated the facility’s size at only 749 units. The proposal also asks for ordinance variances related to building on a steep slope and parking-space requirements. Similar relief was recently granted to an approved 628-unit self-storage facility at 1014 Sumner Ave. Stack was told to re-advertise the project with the correct unit count. The earliest the board would be able to review the project again is July 24.

True Storage opened a new self-storage facility in Providence, Rhode Island. The three-story building at 96 Dupont Drive comprises 64,831 rentable square feet in about 800 units. It’ll be managed by REIT CubeSmart. Based in New Hampshire, True owns 19 self-storage facilities branded under various names. The development firm focuses on ground-up construction and conversions, with about a dozen projects in its pipeline.

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. is converting a former Kmart in Statesville, North Carolina, to self-storage. Plans for the building at 1530 E. Broad St. include 88,923 square feet in 650 climate-controlled units. Established in 1945, U-Haul owns and manages more than 78 million square feet of storage space nationwide.

6/8/23 – 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 June 2023.

Blue self storage, which operates three container-storage facilities in Wales, is developing a new location in Bridgend and has two other projects before local planning commissions. Founded in 1988 as Cardiff Self Storage, the company rebranded in 2019 as it expanded outside that region. It operates two facilities in Cardiff and one in Newcastle.

BKB Properties is facing opposition in its quest to build a self-storage facility in Rincon, Georgia. The property at 923 Old Augusta Road is zoned general commercial, but the city council would need to grant a condition to allow self-storage. Plans for the facility include 250 climate-controlled units. The council tabled its vote until June 12. BKB provides feasibility and due-diligence studies for self-storage owners, buyers and developers as well as design and development consulting.

Carefree Covered RV Storage opened a second location in Chandler, Arizona. The 13.5-acre site at 1000 S. Kyrene Road offers 730 vehicle-storage spaces, some of which are covered. The company invested more than $9 million in the project. Carefree Covered is a division of Business Property Trust, a real estate investment firm that also operates the Bargain Storage brand. The businesses collectively own and operate six self-storage and covered-RV-storage sites in Arizona and Texas, with four more projects under development.

Clear Sky Capital Inc. intends to build a four-story self-storage facility in Portland, Oregon. The $23 million project at 2700 S.E. Tacoma St. will comprise 173,000 square feet. Perlo Construction will serve as general contractor. Founded in 2009 and based in Phoenix, Clear Sky operates a portfolio that includes car washes, manufactured housing, multi-family housing and self-storage.

Cobblestone Capital Construction LLC is converting a former Kmart store in Fairborn, Ohio, to self-storage. Plans for the building at 224 E. Dayton Yellow Springs Road include 65,000 rentable square feet in 580 units. The $4-million project is expected to begin in the fall and take about a year to complete. It’ll be branded and managed by Storage Sense, which operates more than 100 locations in 20 states. Based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Cobblestone is led by Zach Williams, a broker with real estate firm Keller Williams First Choice Realty.

Sammy Estridge Jr. intends to build a self-storage facility in Locust, North Carolina. The developer requested that 3 acres of a 35-acre tract at 24352 Ridgecrest Road be rezoned as a conditional district, which would allow only self-storage to be built on the site. The 200-unit facility would feature six buildings as well as outdoor vehicle storage. District conditions require an 8-foot chain-link fence with barbed wire, and restrict climate-controlled units, 24-hour access and unlit signage. The Stanly County Board of Commissioners is expected to hold a public hearing on the zoning change. In May, the planning board passed a motion against the request because the parcel isn’t in a growth area designated by the 2020 land-use plan.

InSite Property Group, which operates the SecureSpace Self Storage brand, is converting the former Weprin & Glass Building in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, to self-storage. The 10-story building at 424 E. 90th St. will comprise 80,399 square feet of storage and include a basement. Expected to be complete this winter, the facility was designed by Tao Architecture + Design, with PB Brown NYC serving as the general contractor. Based in Torrance, California, InSite has more than 50 locations operating or under construction.

Moove In Self Storage, which operates more than 60 facilities in seven states, is converting a former grocery store in Dover, Pennsylvania, to self-storage. Plans for the 4.16 acres at 3025 Carlisle Road include storage units for the 39,876-square-foot structure as well as constructing

an additional two-story building comprising 58,000 gross square feet on the excess parking lot. Construction will begin this year. Moove In is the operating brand for the Investment Real Estate Group of Cos., which specializes in self-storage construction and management.

Potburys Removals & Storage opened a 27-unit self-storage facility in Sidmouth, England. The Temple Street location, converted from a former auction building, offers units ranging from 15 to 175 square feet. It’s the first self-storage site for the local company, which also offers moving services.

Space Station Self Storage has two developments underway in Birmingham, England. The company will convert an existing warehouse on Garretts Green Lane into a 95,000-square-foot self-storage facility that’s expected to break ground this month. It’s also nearing completion on a 12,000-square-foot construction project on Chester Road. The plans were spurred by a recent £50 million investment from global real estate investment firm Heitman, which acquired Space Station in 2020. Founded in 1983, the self-storage operator has 16 facilities across Birmingham, London, Midlands and Thames Valley, England.

Storage Giant Ltd. opened a new self-storage facility in Nottingham, England, near the intersection of Netherfield and Stoke Bardolph. The site in the new Teal Park complex comprises 82,000 rentable square feet in more than 1,100 units and 19 flex-office spaces. Founded in 2007 and based in Newport, Wales, the company operates 14 locations across the United Kingdom. It has six development projects in its pipeline expected to open by mid-2024.

Stuf, a startup business that partners with commercial-property owners to convert unused space to self-storage, has opened two locations in Seattle. The 220 Second Ave. S. site comprises 3,500 square feet of existing basement space at a property owned by Rubicon Point Partners, a San Francisco-based real estate investment company that purchased the office building in 2021. The location at 400 University St. is in a 10-story office building called 400U that was developed by Wright Runstad & Co., a Seattle-based commercial real estate owner, developer and manager, in partnership with Boston-based Intercontinental Real Estate Corp. Stuf transformed 5,500 square feet of sub-grade mezzanine space into storage that’s accessible through the garage level. Stuf has self-storage locations in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. intends to build new self-storage facilities in Auburn, Alabama, and Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Auburn location will be constructed on a 4.5-acre lot on W. Creek Parkway and comprise more than 100,000 square feet in about 700 units. It’s expected to be complete by July 2025. The Bowling Green project on Nashville Road will offer more than 750 climate-controlled units across 5.15 acres. It’s scheduled to open by May 2025. Established in 1945, U-Haul owns and manages more than 78.1 million square feet of storage space in North America.

West Bank Storage LLC is converting the Borders bookstore in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to self-storage. Plans for the property at 2740 E. 21st St. also include the addition of a three-story structure north of the existing building. West Bank purchased the property last year for $4.7 million. The company operates another storage facility in the city at 1602 W. 51st St.

An unnamed developer is building a self-storage facility in Redding, Connecticut. The 8-acre site on Ethan Allen Highway will offer 675 climate-controlled units ranging from 20 to 300 square feet, along with several flex/industrial spaces. A $22 million construction loan was arranged by EagleBridge Capital, a Boston-based mortgage banking firm.

New Sources:
Business Wire, Store Space Opens Vibrant New, Ground-up Storage Facility in Loganville, GA
Observer, Waterleigh Residents Rally Against Self-Storage Unit
Financial Content, Brand New Self Storage Facility Opens in Elmsford, NY
Bonita Springs Florida Weekly, Anchor Setting Launches Compass Rose Boat Storage Facility at Fort Myers Beach
The Frederick-News Post, Planning Commission Approves Previously Denied Storage Facility in Hyattstown
PR Newswire, Cooper Companies Announces the Start of Construction on its Climate-Controlled Self-Storage Facility on West Route 66 in Flagstaff
Daily Independent, West Glendale Parcel Targeted for Apartment Complex, Self-Storage Facility
EIN Newswires, Mini Mall Storage Launches Storage Facility for Businesses and Residents in New Orleans, Louisiana
EIN Newswires, Mini Mall Storage Opens Its New Climate Controlled Building in West Memphis
Levittown Now, New Self-Storage Facility Approved for Construction
Peninsula Chronicle, New Self-Storage Facility Coming to Stonehouse Commerce Park
Post Bulletin, Rochester's Menards Store to Build a 538-Unit Self-Storage Center
Richmond News, Steveston Residents Oppose Storage Facility Plans
Courier Post Online, Glassboro Residents Object to Self-Storage Building, Zoning Decision Pushed to July
WFMZ, New 865-Unit Storage Facility Moves Forward in Allentown

Previous Sources:
Globe Newswire, SecureSpace Self Storage Opens New Facility in Philadelphia MSA
Hartford Business, Self-Storage Facility Proposed on Route 6 in Farmington
Insider Media Limited, Permission Granted for Self-Storage Centre
Lehigh Valley News, Advertising Mix-Up Delays Self-Storage Facility on Allentown’s East Side
London Post, Big Yellow Self Storage Opens a Flagship Store in Kings Cross
Maidenhead Advertiser, Big Yellow Self Storage Facility Set for Former Sainsbury's Site
NEREJ, True Storage opens 19th Class A Self-Storage Facility at 96 Dupont Dr., Providence, RI
Newswires, New Saratoga Springs Self Storage Facility Located in Lehi, UT
PR Newswire, U-Haul Reveals Plans for Kmart Conversion on Broad Street in Statesville
Times Union Online, Warsaw Planners OK Preliminary & Final Plats for Storage Business
Boston Real Estate Times, EagleBridge Capital Arranges $22 Million Construction/Permanent Mortgage Financing for Self-Storage Facility
Business Live, Space Station to Open Brace of New Birmingham Sites
Central Penn Business Journal, Vacant York Supermarket Purchased by Local Storage Company
Dayton 24, Long-Vacant Former Kmart Site May Get New Life With $4M Renovations
Dayton Daily News, Indoor Self-Storage Business Planned for Dormant Fairborn Former Kmart
DJC Oregon, $23.3M Self-Storage Facility in Portland Building Permits
Effingham Herald, Rincon Residents Protest Proposed Storage Facility
Fox 23, Old Borders Building to Be Turned Into Storage Facility
Insider Media Limited, Space Station Expands Portfolio With Double Deal
New York Yimby, SecureSpace Self Storage Facility Nears Completion at 424 East 90th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side
PR Newswire, Coming to Auburn: U-Haul to Develop Land for New Store by 2025
PR Newswire, Investing in Bowling Green: U-Haul to Build New Store, Add Jobs by 2025
PR Web, Carefree Covered RV Storage Opens Second Chandler Location
Sidmouth Herald, New Self-Storage Unit Now Open in Sidmouth Town Centre
The Stanly News & Press, Stanly Commissioners to Schedule Budget Hearing, Consider Ridgecrest Storage Facility
Wales 24/7, Storage Company Makes Bridgend Move and Plans Major Expansion
West Bridgford Wire, Storage Giant Opens New Nottinghamshire Site

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter
ISS is the most comprehensive source for self-storage news, feature stories, videos and more.

You May Also Like