June 17, 2021

19 Min Read
Self-Storage Development and Zoning Activity: March 2021

Update 6/17/21 – RCG Stein, the joint venture between RCG Ventures LLC and Stein Investment Group, had its rezoning proposal unanimously approved by the Massillon, Ohio, City Council. The change from general-business to light-industrial use on a 7-acre section of the northern portion of the former Kmart site on Lincoln Way was necessary for the self-storage component of the mixed-use project. RCG Stein is in the process of acquiring most of the 11.7-acre site from Pittsburgh-based Kamin Realty Co., though Kamin will retain a small portion at 27th Street N.E. and Lincoln Way for which a small grocery store is planned. The Kmart has been vacant since November 2017.

RCG Ventures is a privately funded investment group that acquires and develops commercial real estate. Family-owned and -operated Stein owns or manages 22 Space Shop Self Storage facilities in six states.

3/24/21 – 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 March 2021.

All Purpose Storage Bennington LLC and Patriot Holdings LLC are converting a former drive-in movie theater in Bennington, Vt., to self-storage. The development-review board approved the design and site plan last month for the property off Northside Drive, which is owned by Diane Allard and Karen Post. The joint venture hopes to close on the purchase next month. Expected to break ground this summer, the project will include seven buildings comprising 61,400 square feet in 400 units, according to Tim Wilkins, an owner and project manager with Las Vegas-based Patriot. Construction is estimated to cost $2.7 million. Based in Keene, N.H., All Purpose operates more than 24 self-storage facilities comprising more than 700,000 square feet throughout New England.

Baranof Holdings LLC is building a new self-storage facility in the Kakaako neighborhood of Honolulu, its first development in Hawaii. The five-story structure on Queen Street will comprise 91,190 square feet of rentable space in 1,631 units. It’ll also include a single-story leasing office and 12,760 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The project is on the site of a former Discount Storage. Baranof signed a 60-year ground lease in 2018 with Hawaiian Securities & Realty LLC. It has four other facilities under construction in Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and San Francisco. Based in Dallas, Baranof develops, builds and acquires self-storage properties nationwide, and operates 10 facilities in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

Broadway Village LLC, Goldstein Land Trust and Storage Five Pekin LLC received site-plan approval for a self-storage facility they intend to build in Pekin, Ill. The 1.24-acre property at 1111 Broadway St. has been vacant for decades and is currently being used as a parking lot. The council also approved a parking variance to reduce the number of required parking spots from 41 to 13.

Darme Holding Co., doing business as Watsonville Self Storage LLC, intends to build a facility on 4.4 acres in Watsonville, Calif. The property at 75 and 80 Neilson St. will comprise 150,160 square feet in 1,137 units, some of which will be earmarked for boat/RV storage. The project includes four buildings and a manager residence. It’s expected to be complete by early spring 2022. Represented by Don Reimann, executive vice president at Colliers International, Darme recently acquired the property from Seagate Technology LLC. Company CEO Ted Crocker began building self-storage in the early 1970s under the Crocker’s Lockers brand, which has developed more than 50 projects in Arizona and California.

DG Properties is converting a former grocery store in Merrillville, Ind., to self-storage. The town council approved a variance with a 5-2 vote, allowing the project to move forward on property the company owns at 73rd Avenue and Taft Street. Plans include renovating the 67,000-square-foot building into climate-controlled storage. The initial phase will cost about $1.5 million, according to Merrillville Planning and Building Director Sheila Shine. A $1 million second phase will add drive-up units.

Holland House Holdings received approval to build a mixed-use project in Farmington, Wis., that’ll include an office building and self-storage. Plans for the 4.7-acre property at 277 E. Main St. include building five storage structures ranging from 7,170 square feet to 12,000 square feet. Two will be climate-controlled. The facility will also offer vehicle storage. The office building will occupy less than acre and comprise about 10,000 square feet.

Hwy 56 Storage Ranch opened in Savoy, Texas. The first phase of the property at 8280 TX-56 comprises 41,000 square feet of drive-up and vehicle storage. Phase two, expected to open this spring, will add climate-controlled units. The facility is locally owned.

Keating Resources opened two The Hills Self Storage facilities in Custer and Spearfish, S.D., using buildings that had been vacant for more than two years. The 3-acre property at 1135 Mount Rushmore Road in Custer was converted from a Shopko retail store. It comprises 26,000 square feet. The 6-acre property at 125 Industrial Drive formerly housed Polaris Inc., a manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles. The 52,000-square-foot building fronts Interstate 90. Keating Resources is owned by Gerard Keating and his son, Alec Keating. With offices in Atkinson, Neb., and Dallas, the company invests in real estate assets of all types.

Landvest Corp., a property-management firm specializing in self-storage properties, opened Security Self-Storage in Atlanta. The multi-story facility at 1555 Memorial Drive S.E. is entirely climate-controlled. Founded in 1985 and based in Wichita, Kan., Landvest manages a portfolio of more than 50 self-storage facilities in six states. Its portfolio comprises about 2.8 million square feet.

The Woonsocket, R.I., City Council agreed to sell a former baseball field to real estate company North Star Management, which intends to develop self-storage at the vacant site. North Star bid $749,000 for the former Ayotte Field at 777 Providence St. Though Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt doesn’t believe self-storage is the best use for the property, the council opted for the higher of two bids. The North Star project is one of two self-storage projects being pursued in the city. An unidentified private developer also intends to build a facility on 6.5 acres at 153 Hamlet Ave., which previously housed the French Worsted Mill. The site has been vacant since 2012 when the pre-existing structure caught fire.

Peak Management LLC is developing a YourSpace Storage facility in York Township, Pa. The property on Cape Horn Road will comprise 1,008 units. It’ll be part of a larger mixed-use project being developed by affiliate Hill Management Services Inc. that includes a Burger King and Mavis Discount Tire. YourSpace is expected to open next summer. Based in Nottingham, Md., Peak is a full-service property management company that specializes in the development, construction, management and ownership of multi-family and self-storage properties. YourSpace operates nine locations in Maryland and one Delaware.

Shurgard Self Storage Europe SARL, the European affiliate of U.S.-based real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc., received a building permit to develop a new facility in Cologne, Germany. Expected to open in 2022, the building will comprise 6,000 square meters in more than 800 units. Shurgard operates 244 self-storage facilities comprising 1.2 million net rentable square meters in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

U-Haul is converting a former Shopko store in Winona, Miss. The company opened a temporary showroom on the 10.22-acre property at 405 Cottonwood Drive while it renovates the 84,540-square-foot building. Expected to be complete this summer, it’ll offer climate-controlled storage and additional U-Haul products and services.

West Coast Self Storage Group (WCSSG) opened a new facility in Burien, Wash. The property at 1625 S.W. 114th St. comprises 103,870 rentable square feet in 1,000 units and 34 uncovered RV spaces. Headquartered in Everett, Wash., WCSSG is a property-management, acquisition and development company. It operates 78 managed and owned locations in California, Oregon and Washington.

3/11/21 – 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 March 2021.

All American Self Storage is building a new location in Trussville, Ala. The two-story, 50,000-square-foot building will be behind Frank Johnston Drive, near the Trussville Crossings Shopping Center. The operator plans to break ground next month. All American operates six facilities in Alabama and Georgia. The family-owned business was founded in 1984.

Andover Properties LLC, which operates the Storage King USA brand, completed expansion projects at two properties in Florida and one in Mississippi. The project in Polk City, Fla., added 27,300 square feet of unit space, 6,000 square feet of flex space, and 63,200 square feet of covered and open RV parking. The expansion in Spring Hill, Fla., comprised 55,000 square feet of storage space along with 72,000 square feet of flex space and covered and enclosed RV storage. In Ocean Spring, Miss., the company added 40,000 square feet of climate-controlled space and 35,400 square feet of covered and open RV parking. Founded in 2003 and based in New York City, Andover owns or manages 71 self-storage facilities in 16 states, totaling more than 5.3 million rentable square feet.

Arcland Property Co., a Georgetown, Washington, D.C.-based real estate development and investment company, has opened a four-story self-storage facility as part of a mixed-use project in Haymarket, Va. The structure at 15345 John Marshall Highway comprises 97,600 square feet. It’ll be managed by Self Storage Plus, a Washington, D.C.-based company with 49 properties in Maryland, the Virginias and the District of Columbia. Built on 12.46 acres, the mixed-use project also will include a quick-service auto repair, a convenience store and other retail uses. Arcland specializes in self-storage in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas.

Baseline Self Storage received approval to move forward with its project on a 10-acre parcel in Roseville, Calif. The plans by developer Jas Bains, president of Dominus Cos., include a 225,000-square-foot self-storage facility at 5750 Baseline Road. The first phase will contain 100,000 square feet of storage, 94 vehicle-storage spaces, a 1,364-square-foot office and a 1,452-square-foot manager’s residence. Additional phases would replace the vehicle parking with storage buildings. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.

Blue Sapphire Self Storage opened in Rahway, N.J. The multi-story facility at 2225 Elizabeth Ave. is near the New Jersey/New York state border and accessible via U.S. Route 9. It comprises 52,485 square feet of rentable space in 403 units. Owned by Ramani Group, a real estate development, construction and property-management firm, it’ll be managed by Storage Asset Management, a property management and consulting company.

FivePoint Capital Management completed construction on Calhoun Avenue Storage in Houston. The four-story building comprises 126,000 square feet in 997 units, plus an interior drive aisle and 1,000-square-foot sales office. It’ll be managed by real estate investment trust (REIT) CubeSmart and branded under its name. It was designed and constructed by ARCO/Murray Design Build. Preston Brown was the project manager and Paul Ryan was the project superintendent.

Grand River Old 23 LLC received zoning approval to build a self-storage facility in Brighton, Mich. The parcel at 9984 E. Grand River is owned by Steve Samona and was previously zoned general business. The city and county planning commissions support the project, said Brighton Township Planner Kelly Mathews.

Granger Development opened a new climate-controlled self-storage facility in Pensacola, Fla. The property at 2041 W. Nine Mile Road features an interior drive-through. It’ll be managed by REIT Extra Space Storage Inc. Founded in 1999 and based in Pensacola, Granger specializes in commercial real estate acquisitions and development. Its interests include office, residential, retail and self-storage.

Hampshire Real Estate Cos., a private real estate investment firm and self-storage operator, opened a new facility in Perth Amboy, N.J. The property at 900 State St. comprises 94,600 square feet in 697 units. It is managed by Extra Space and branded under its name. Based in Morristown, N.J., Hampshire has developed 42 self-storage facilities since 2012 with a value of more than $608 million.

Commercial real estate developer Hernandez Group completed construction on a four-story self-storage facility as part of a mixed-use development in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Built on 1.78 acres at 2427 W. Broward Blvd., the building comprises 130,852 square feet in 970 units, plus 5,168 square feet of ground-floor retail space. It’ll be managed by Extra Space. The development is in partnership with JL Capital and Management, Merrimac Ventures, and Stiles. South Florida-based Hernandez acted as construction manager and development partner on the project. JL Capital specializes in business management as well as real estate brokerage and development services. Based in Fort Lauderdale, real estate firm Merrimac specializes in value-add investment and development opportunities primarily in South Florida. Stiles, a full-service commercial real estate firm specializing in projects in the Southeast, will handle leasing efforts for the retail space.

Real estate developer Ivy Hill Section I LLC intends to build a four-story self-storage facility in the Ivy Hill neighborhood of Newark, N.J. The project would comprise 121,828 square feet of floor area at the corner of Irvington Avenue and Manor Drive. The developer intends to split the property into two parcels, with one dedicated to the storage facility and the other to preserve parking and refuse uses for the neighboring Ivy Hill Park Apartments complex. The applicant is seeking multiple variances. The Newark Zoning Board of Adjustment was scheduled to review the project during a special meeting on Monday.

REIT Life Storage Inc. intends to expand its facility at 2790 and 2802 Transit Road in West Seneca, N.Y., which currently houses a mixture of single- and two-story buildings. The project would add a three-story, 34,584-square-foot building comprising 216 units and 53 vehicle spaces to a 4.6-acre portion of the property currently used for outdoor vehicle storage. It’d be positioned at the rear of the property, along Dyke Road. The company received approval for the project in 2016 but didn’t pursuit it due to the economy, according to senior project manager Rich Pasternak. The West Seneca Planning Board is scheduled to review it today. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Life Storage operates more than 900 self-storage facilities in 31 states and Ontario, Canada. Its portfolio of owned and managed facilities comprises more than 67.7 million square feet.

Lock Up Storage opened its fourth location, in the Cornubia Mall in Umhlanga, South Africa. The facility was built in a portion of the mall’s basement parking area. It was designed using several 40-foot shipping containers, converting each into two, 20-square-foot units with drive-up access. It also offers fabricated 30-square-foot units with walk-up access. Owner James Visser indicated he plans to replicate the installment at other malls. Lock Up operates three other self-storage locations in the KwaZulu-Natal province.

Loreto Development Co. is developing a mixed-use project in Perry, Ohio, that’ll include townhomes and self-storage on a 20.5-acre parcel near the Hidden Village residential subdivision, which it also owns. The 2.5-acre storage portion will contain five buildings. It’ll be east of the townhomes, between Maple Street and railroad tracks. The planning commission has approved the preliminary application and construction could begin this fall, according to company president Loreto Iafelice.

LSC Development LLC opened a new self-storage facility in Flushing, N.Y. The three-story structure at 34-12 Collins Place comprises 157,500 square feet in 2,874 units. It includes three elevators and five drive-in bays. The property will be managed by Life Storage. Based in Barrington, Ill., LSC specializes in industrial parks, office complexes and self-storage facilities. Its portfolio and development pipeline comprise more than 2.7 million square feet.

NitNeil Partners, a real estate investment firm that acquires and develops self-storage facilities, is building a project in Stone Mountain, Ga. Slated to open in November, the property at 5636 Redan Road will comprise 70,750 rentable square feet in 650 units. NitNeil's portfolio consists of 1.6 million square feet across 11 states.

RCG-Stein, a joint venture between RCG Ventures LLC and Stein Investment Group, is looking to convert a former Kmart building in Massillon, Ohio, to a mixed-use project that’ll include office space, restaurants, retail and self-storage. Plans for the 11-acre property at 2600 Lincoln Way E. include retrofitting the 105,000-square-foot building into self-storage and developing separate parcels across the parking area for other uses. The Massillon Planning Commission was expected to discuss the company’s request for a zoning change at its meeting this week. RCG Ventures is a privately funded investment group that acquires and develops commercial real estate. Family-owned and -operated Stein owns or manages more than 23 Space Shop Self Storage in six states.

Rick Ramsey, co-owner of A-Metro Self Storage, is converting a former bingo hall in Schenectady, N.Y. Ramsey purchased The Schenectady Bingo Palace at 1866 State St. for $1.9 million and will spend about $300,000 to add 300 climate-controlled units to the 30,000-square-foot building. He also plans to build another 15,000 square feet of storage on the property’s parking lot. Ramsey also purchased the adjacent Freihofer Bakery Outlet at 1874 State St. and three parcels behind the bingo hall that face Albany Street. Two are vacant lots that’ll be converted to vehicle storage. The third houses a residence occupied by a tenant. A-Metro operates five New York facilities. It’s owned by Ramsey, his wife, Kim, and son, Christopher. The family also owns Liedkie Moving & Storage and Metro Movers.

Self Storage Plus opened a new location in Washington, D.C. The four-story building at 5901 Blair Road N.W. comprises 105,000 gross square feet of storage space. Co-owned by Adler Financial Group and Lock 7 Development LLC, the structure is built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, with a green roof and solar array.

Stein Investment Group is seeking approval to convert a former AT&T office building in Livonia, Mich. Plans for 31100 Plymouth Road call for dividing the property into two, with 700 interior, climate-controlled units built inside the structure and leaving the vast parking lot on the eastern side of the site open for future development. Following the planning commission’s unanimous vote, the project will next be presented to the city council.

True Storage Bangor LLC is developing a two-story, 39,150-square-foot facility at 668 Stillwater Ave. in Bangor, Maine. The $4.1 million project is on a former Circuit City electronics retail location that closed in 2009 when the chain went bankrupt. The building was demolished in 2017. True Storage is an affiliate of Manchester, N.H.-based real estate firm Brady Sullivan Properties.

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,700 self-storage facilities across North America, intends to develop a six-story facility next to an existing truck-rental center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The facility at 1800 W. State Road 84 would comprise 132,984 square feet in 1,027 units. The city’s development-review committee was scheduled to evaluate the $8.2 million project on Tuesday. Fiallo’s MEP Design Inc. designed the facility. Established in 1945, U-Haul operates more than 68 million square feet of storage space in North America.

The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, opened a new facility in Denver. The multi-story structure at 18815 E. 60th Ave. features solar power. It’ll also be part of the company’s partnership initiative with One Tree Planted, in which StorQuest plants one tree for every rental. The location is StorQuest’s 28th in the Denver metro area. Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG acquires, develops and manages more than 200 self-storage facilities in 16 states.

New Source:
IndeOnline.com, Zone Change Paves Way for Former Massillon Kmart to Become Indoor/Outdoor Storage Center

Previous Sources:
NWI.com, Town Approves Storage Facility Proposal
Newscenter, The Hills Self Storage Opens in Custer and Spearfish
Washington County Enterprise-Leader, Commission Approves Storage Unit Development
Bennington Banner, Self-Storage Facility Planned for Land Off Northside Drive
Digital Journal, Storage Units in Savoy, TX Are Newly Opened at Hwy 56 Storage Ranch Including Self-Storage, RV Storage, and Boat Storage
Pekin Daily Times, Despite Some Opposition, Pekin City Council Forwards Site Plan for New Storage Facility
PR Newswire, U-Haul Shares Plans for New Self-Storage Center in Winona
Pacific Business News, More Self Storage Coming to Kakaako
Patch, West Coast Self-Storage Highline Opens in Burien, WA
Penn Live, New Mavis Discount Tire and a Self-Storage Facility to Open in York County
The Valley Breeze, Ayotte Field, French Worsted Slated for Storage Units
Albany Business Review, Why This Self-Storage Business Bought a Schenectady Bingo Hall
Bangor Daily News, Storage Space Coming to the Former Circuit City Lot on Stillwater Avenue
Hometown Life, New Self-Storage Facility Planned at Vacant Office Building Along Plymouth Road in Livonia
IndeOnline.com, Former Massillon Kmart Site Targeted for New Restaurants, Offices, Self-Storage
Jersey Digs, Self-Storage Facility Could Come to Ivy Hill, Newark
Patch, New Self Storage Facility to Open in Trussville
Pensacola News Journal, ExtraSpace Storage Opens New Facility on Nine Mile Road
PR Newswire, Self Storage Plus Grand Opening of New Storage Facility in Washington DC
PR Newswire, Self Storage Plus Opens Brand New Facility in Haymarket, VA
PRWeb, Denver Gets More ‘Awesome’ with StorQuest Grand Opening
REBusiness Online, ARCO/Murray Completes 997-Unit CubeSmart Self-Storage Facility in Houston
ROI- NJ, Hampshire Cos. Opens Latest Self-Storage Facility in Perth Amboy
Sacramento Business Journal, West Roseville Sees First Self-Storage Project
South Florida Business Journal, U-Haul Plans Self-Storage Facility in Fort Lauderdale
The Buffalo News, Suburban Development Notes: Another Brewery, More Self Storage on Tap
The News-Herald, Loreto Development to Move Forward With Plans for Townhomes, Storage Units in Perry Village
Trussville Tribune, Self Storage Business Coming Soon to Trussville
WHMI, Rezoning Approved for Mini Storage Building

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