Self-Storage Development and Zoning Activity: October 2023

Update 1/15/24 – Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar unanimously received initial zoning approval to build its new facility at 492 Sardis Road in Asheville, North Carolina. Since the structure will be more than 100,000 square feet, it must undergo a conditional-zoning review. The city council will discuss the project at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Update 12/5/23 – SAFStor Inc. received final land-development approval from the Falls Township, Pennsylvania, Board of Supervisors, which will allow it to demolish Michael’s Restaurant and Lounge to make way for a self-storage development along Old Lincoln Highway in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. An adjacent residential structure will also be razed. The 109,650-square-foot facility will include 28 vehicle-storage spaces. SAFStor received a use variance for the project in June.

10/26/23 – 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 October 2023.

1784 Capital Holdings LLC received planning-board approval to develop a three-story, 91,000-square-foot self-storage facility in Palm Coast, Florida. The project at 57 Old Kings Road N. will consume 12 of 15 acres owned by the neighboring First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Palm Coast. Offering 619 traditional units and 146 outdoor vehicle-storage spaces, it required a special exception. The developer must preserve adjoining wetlands and a 70-foot-wide wooded buffer between the street and vehicle-storage area. In addition, units are prohibited from being used as business fronts, and there can be no onsite boat rental. A technical site plan must still be approved by the planning board.

Boardwalk Development Group LLC (BDG), a private-equity investment company focused on self-storage, is developing a facility on a 6.14-acre parcel at the intersection of Westridge Industrial Boulevard and Westridge Parkway in Atlanta. Once complete, the two-story building will offer 527 units in 86,550 square feet. Founded in Atlanta in 2016, BDG specializes in self-storage and boat/storage acquisition, development, investment, and operation in the Southeast. It has acquired or built more than $500 million in the sector.

Citadel Self Storage, which operates five facilities in Kentucky, is seeking permission to convert the former Middletown Library in Middletown, Kentucky. Plans for 200 Juneau Drive include 85,500 square feet across three floors. The first floor would also include 4,400 square feet of retail space for rent.

Civil Design Consultants Inc. (CDC) is seeking a special permit to build a three-story self-storage facility in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Existing structures on the 1.1-acre site at 913 East St. will be demolished and replaced with a new 11,130-square-foot building. The developer has requested a reduction in the number of required parking spaces and the minimum setback from the property line. Based in Andover, Massachusetts, CDC offers engineering, land-development and surveying services.

A joint venture between DYO Investments, Live Oak Capital Partners and MacArthur Holdings is developing a self-storage facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Plans for the three-story building at 3919 Philips Highway include 110,000 square feet across 700 units. ARCO/Murray Design Build will construct the project. Based in Atlanta, DYO specializes in self-storage and retail real estate. Founded in 2012, Live Oak has acquired, developed, managed and sold more than $160 million in real estate, including 16 self-storage facilities. The portfolio for family-owned MacArthur Holdings includes hotels, multi-family, retail, manufacturing and distribution facilities, and self-storage.

In a partnership, construction firms EDC and Johnson Development completed an Extra Space Storage facility in Hyattsville, Maryland. Designed by SAA Architects, the building at 6801 Annapolis Road comprises 126,954 square feet in 1,441 units across seven stories, three of which are underground. Founded in 1990 and based in Midlothian Virginia, EDC has built more than 30 million square feet of entertainment, industrial, multi-family, retail and self-storage. Headquartered in Houston, Johnson develops master-planned communities and self-storage.

Great American Capital intends to convert a former LA Fitness gym in Chatsworth, California, to self-storage. Plans for the project at 9129 and 9143 N. De Soto Ave. include a three-story building comprising 81,300 square feet and a pair of single-story structures encompassing 27,600 square feet. The property is owned by Kids from the Valley X LLC. Based in Las Vegas, Great American is a real estate and development firm that specializes in property management, financing and the provision of investment capital for special projects.

HMC Holdings Ltd. intends to develop a self-storage facility in the Moorfield North Industrial Park in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The site will comprise 14,880 square feet of storage in 108 shipping containers. HMC owns Ayrshire Storage Centre in Irvine, Scotland. Founded in 1900, the family-owned company specializes in acquisitions, property management and renovations.

Insite Property Group, the parent company of SecureSpace Self Storage, opened a new location in the Glenwood community of Philadelphia. The facility at 2501 N. 15th St. comprises 120,260 square feet. Based in Redondo Beach, California, InSite has more than 50 facilities operating or under construction.

In a joint venture, European real estate developer Mitiska REIM and self-storage operator Storo opened a new location in Roeselare, Belgium, in a converted furniture store. The facility at Brugsesteenweg 537 comprises 31,215 net rentable square feet in 462 units. It also offers 7,319 square feet of rental space for small and mid-sized enterprises. Headquartered in Belgium, Mitiska specializes in light industrial, retail parks, self-storage and urban logistics. Storo operates two more properties in Brecht and Mechelen, Belgium.

Northpointe Development Group LLC received zoning permission to build a self-storage facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Plans for the parcel on Donald Lane include a three-story building comprising 25,000 square feet. Based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Northpointe is a real estate development and management firm specializing in hospitality, office, retail, multi-family and self-storage.

Nuvo Development intends to construct a 110,000-square-foot self-storage facility on a 2-acre site in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. The three-story building on Beaver Avenue received planning-board approval despite vehement opposition from residents who complained the project is an ill fit for the neighborhood. Self-storage is an “expressly permitted use” in the district. Construction could begin this year and is expected to take 18 months. Founded in 2014, Nuvo Development is an affiliate of Winter Park, Florida-based The Nuvo Co. LLC. It offers architecture, development and engineering services to the self-storage industry.

One Stop Self Storage, which operates six facilities in Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, opened a new location in Dayton, Ohio. The facility at 535 E. 3rd St. offers climate-controlled units. One Stop also has a project under development in Louisville, Kentucky.

Daniel Plant, owner of MaxPlusOne, is seeking a zoning variance from the Allen County, Indiana, Plan Commission to construct a self-storage facility in Fort Wayne. Plans for the 3.5-acres at 19001 Old State Road 3 include six structures comprising 38,500 square feet in up to 250 units. A public hearing will be held on Nov. 9. If approved, construction will begin this year.

SAFStor Inc., doing business as SAFStor Old Lincoln LLC, intends to develop a self-storage facility on the 3-acre site of Michael’s Restaurant and Lounge in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The three-story project at 935 Old Lincoln Highway would comprise 109,650 square feet. The company received a variance this spring from the Falls Township, Pennsylvania, Zoning Hearing Board but must still seek full project approval. Though the restaurant is still operational, plans call for the demolition of the building, which dates to the 1950s and was formerly a hotel. SAFStor owns 31 self-storage facilities across 14 states.

Sandymark Ltd. received approval to construct a self-storage facility off of Tay Lane in Rathcoole, Ireland. The building will include 1,698 square meters of storage space, along with 98 square meters for ancillary functions. Approval conditions from the South Dublin County Council include a wastewater-connection agreement and the submission of a “green infrastructure” plan. Sandymark is a real estate investment firm that specializes in the development of industrial properties.

SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc., which operates 193 properties in 22 U.S. states and Toronto, opened a new location in a converted industrial building in San Gabriel, California. The three-story structure at 5216 Walnut Grove Ave. comprises 78,000 square feet in 790 units. SmartStop is a self-managed real estate investment trust that operates 15.4 million rentable square feet.

U-Haul International Inc. intends to develop a self-storage facility on 10 acres in Phoenix. The site at the northwest corner of Lower Buckeye Road and 59th Avenue will comprise 134,126 square feet in 1,111 units. It’ll include a three-story building and a single-story structure. Established in 1945 and based in Phoenix, U-Haul owns and manages more than 82 million square feet of storage space across North America.

Volta Global is developing a self-storage facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Branded as First Storage, it’ll comprise 83,000 square feet. Founded in 2015, Volta owns more than 3 million square feet of hospitality, multi-family and self-storage.

10/13/23 – Stritzinger received zoning approval to build his self-storage facility in Bronson, Michigan, despite the planning commission’s vote to not recommend it. He told the source that the negative vote was due to miscommunication on his part. Prior to the vote, city attorney Chuck Lillis reminded council members that they were only deciding on the zoning, not approving the project itself.

10/11/23 – 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 October 2023.

Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar is seeking zoning approval to build a new facility in Asheville, North Carolina. Plans for the parcel at the intersection of Sand Hill and Sardis Roads include a four-story structure comprising 109,044 square feet in 800 units. The project is expected to be reviewed by the city’s technical-review committee on Nov. 6. Bee Safe also operates a similar property at 1292 Hendersonville Road. The company is a subsidiary of The Carroll Cos., a Greensboro, North Carolina-based real estate development and management company.

Blue Self Storage opened a 15,000-square-foot facility on Waterton Road in Bridgend, Wales. The company hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring an appearance by Welsh rugby legend Sir Gareth Edwards and participation from community businesses and organizations. It operates two other locations, also in Wales. Founded in 1988, Blue was formerly branded as Cardiff Self Storage.

Boardwalk Development Group LLC (BDG) is converting a former Piggly Wiggly store in Warner Robins, Georgia, to self-storage. The first phase of the project in the Houston Village shopping center at 823 N. Houston Road includes 68,850 gross square feet of self-storage and 25 vehicle-storage spaces. A second phase will add additional self-storage and boat/RV storage to the 9-acre property. The property will be managed and branded by real estate investment trust (REIT) Extra Space Storage Inc. Founded in Atlanta in 2016, BDG specializes in self-storage and boat/storage acquisition, development, investment, and operation in the Southeast. It has four additional sites under construction, with seven more projects in its pipeline.

Go Store It, which operates more than 80 facilities nationwide, converted an existing building in Charlotte, North Carolina, to self-storage. The two-story structure at 8500 S. Tryon St. in the Whitehall Technology Park comprises 73,655 square feet in more than 600 units. Liberty Construction was the general contractor. Based in Charlotte, Go Store It has more than 6.5 million square feet of storage space under management and construction. It’s an affiliate of Madison Capital Group.

Insite Property Group, the parent company of SecureSpace Self Storage, opened a new location in the Glenwood community of Philadelphia. The facility at 2501 N. 15th St. comprises 120,260 square feet of climate-controlled units. Based in Redondo Beach, California, InSite has more than 55 facilities operating or under construction.

Mark Johnson, doing business as 161 Milk St. Nominee Trust, intends to convert a former roller-skating rink in Westborough, Massachusetts, to self-storage. The project at 161 Milk St. and 220 Turnpike Road would also include construction of a 20,000-square-foot building to be used by Johnson’s water-, fire- and mold-damage restoration business, MA Restoration Inc., for offices and warehouse space. Plans also include a solar canopy at the south side of the parking lot and charging stations for electric vehicles. The skating rink dates to the late 1970s and has been closed for several years. The property is owned by Lyman Realty Trust and Paulini Loam LLC.

Merito Partners, a Latvia-based private-investment company, is converting the former Go Planet entertainment building in Riga, Lativia, to self-storage. The company acquired the building at Gunāra Astras iela 2B for EUR 2.7 million at auction. Plans include construction of 107,000 square feet in more than 1,600 units. The renovation is expected to take a year. Based in Riga, Merito specializes in implementing growth capital, sustainable energy and niche real estate investments. The company launched the Merito Self Storage Fund last month to develop 10 to 15 storage facilities across the Baltic states.

Self-storage development firm MV Investment opened a CubeSmart facility in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. The building at 7185 Town Center Road comprises 77,500 square feet in 800 units. Since 2018, MV has developed and sold 16 properties in Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Recreational Storage Group (RSG) recently acquired land in Ocala, Florida, on which it intends to build a self-storage facility. The site will be operated by Great American Self Storage (GASS), which also partnered with RSG on a project under development in Savannah, Georgia. Based in New Jersey, RSG has seven self-storage and boat/RV-storage projects in its pipeline. It’s led by principals Erik Johnson and George Hristodoulou. Founded in 1986, GASS operates four facilities in California, Florida, Hawaii and North Carolina.

The Easton, Pennsylvania, Planning Commission recommended approval for a special exception that would allow Satbeer Sembhi of 601 Reynolds St LLC to convert the former Order of Fleas Club to self-storage. The project at 601 Reynolds St. would offer 98 units. The club served the community for 93 years before being evicted in 2016. It was raided in 2003 by state and federal investigators for alleged illegal gambling via video-poker machines. The self-storage proposal will next be reviewed by the zoning board.

Storage Solutions, which operates five facilities in Washington, opened a new location in the state in Chattaroy. The facility at 34919 N. Newport Highway offers drive-up self-storage and vehicle-storage spaces. It also contains two warehouses for rental. Designed by Russell Page Architects of Spokane, it’ll be managed by West Coast Self-Storage Group. Storage Solutions operates facilities in Deer Park, Liberty Lake, Liberty Lake, Nine Mile Falls and Spokane.

StorSafe Self Storage, which operates 25 facilities in six states, expanded its location in Michigan City, Indiana. The project at 2600 S. Franklin St. added 10,665 square feet in 82 climate-controlled units as well as a loading dock and water-management system designed to collect and clean stormwater. Founded in 2021, StorSafe has a portfolio encompassing more than 1.3 million square feet across the Midwest and Southeast.

Tyler Stritzinger intends to build a self-storage facility in Bronson, Michigan. The project at 150 Wayne St. would comprise 16,000 square feet across two buildings, along with an option to later add retail. The city council will decide whether to rezone the 7-acre parcel from a multi-family district to community commercial, which is required to move forward. Last month, the planning commission voted 3-2 against recommending the zoning change.

New Sources:
Levittown Now, Falls Twp. Approves Demolition of Michael’s Restaurant for Self-Storage Development
WTVB, Bronson City Council Approves Rezoning for Proposed Self Storage Facility
REBusiness Online, SecureSpace Opens New Self-Storage Facility in Philadelphia
Wane.com, Self-Storage Facility Planned for Old State Road 3 Close to DeKalb County Line
The Tribune-Democrat, Richland Township Board OKs Plans for Storage Facility on Donald Lane
Business Wire, SmartStop Opens New Self-Storage Facility in San Gabriel, California
The Fayetteville Observer, Volta Global Building First Storage in Fayetteville, NC
Patch, Tewksbury Storage Facility Proposal Heads to Planning Board
WLKY.com, Aldi, Self-Storage Facility to Take Over Long-Vacant Middletown Property
Daily Record, Self-storage Facility Plan for Kilmarnock as Site With 108 Shipping Containers Is Considered
Digital Journal, One Stop Self Storage Unveils New Facility on E 3rd Street in Dayton, OH
Echo, Self-storage Facility Plans Approved With Conditions
Flagler Live, Palm Coast Approves 91,000 Square Foot Storage Facility Next to Elks Lodge on Old Kings Road
KTAR, Phoenix-Based U-Haul Proposes Massive Self-Storage Facility in Growing Part of City
Levittown Now, 70-Year-Old Restaurant Building May Make Way For New Self-Storage Facility
The Real Deal, Great American Capital to Replace Gym With Self-Storage in Chatsworth
Yahoo News, Mount Laurel Redevelopment Plan Attracts Businesses, But Upsets Neighbors

Citizen Times, Wine Collections and Self-Storage? New Asheville Facility to see City Council Vote

Previous Sources:
BlueField Daily Telegraph, SecureSpace Announces Opening of New Self-Storage Facility in Philadelphia, PA
Citizen Times, New 4-Story Self-Storage Unit and Wine Cellar Proposed for Sardis Road
Community Advocate, One-Time Westborough Rink Could Be Converted Into a Self-Storage Facility
Lehigh Valley Live, Here’s the New Plan for Reusing The Old Fleas Club on South Side Easton
The Baltic Times, 'Merito Partners’ Commits Over EUR 6 Million to Transform 'Go Planet’ Building Into One of the Largest Self Storage Facilities in Eastern Europe
WTVB, Rezoning Request for East Side Self Storage Facility on Monday’s Bronson City Council Agenda