Sentry Self Storage has broken ground on a $3.4 million project in Oconee, Ga. The three-story facility at 1006 Virgil Langford Road will comprise 59,910 square feet and feature all climate-controlled units and two elevators, according to the source.

Sentry’s Reed Jackson Jr. and Chance Warren of Athens, Ga., are supervising the construction. Marietta, Ga.-based JMWilliams Contractors was chosen as the contractor because of its experience in building multi-story self-storage facilities, Jackson told the source. “Builders are going up instead of out as land gets more expensive,” he said. “This [is] our first venture in a multi-storied unit. We have done our homework and visited various places.”

The Oconee facility will be Sentry’s second location. When Jackson and Warren developed their first asset in Athens, Ga., they wound up switching contractors. “We picked a nice guy who is a good contractor,” Jackson told the source. “But he was not experienced in self-storage. It is not rocket science, but it helps to have some expertise.”

The Athens facility features more than 700 units, 24-hour gated access, flex office space, security video cameras and free WiFi, according to the company website.

Sources: