08 Oct 2019
It should come as no surprise that the overall business of self storage is an interesting one. The foundation of self storage often surrounds what many people in the industry call “The 4 D’s of self storage,” which are life stages that represent frequent reasons as to why someone would use the service of a storage facility. They are as follows:
Such a happy list we have here. While many think this list is often a stereotype that over-exaggerates the gloom associated with the need for a storage unit, it still provides a small window into the personal mindset that a self storage customer might have. Customer service within the industry has been a top priority for many facilities and 3PLs for this very reason. The customers who walk into those doors (or order online) many not be too happy about being there themselves.
To add insult to injury, for decades the physical appearances of these facilities have not been conducive to the image that say, a City Council would want to project for their residents. Cinder-block jail cells that house unwanted belongings is, by itself, is a very unsexy concept.
While the visibility of road-side storage facilities has seen major upgrades in recent years, many of these Council members do not immediately become excited by approving the development of one in their areas.
On the flip of the coin these operations are often successful businesses that counter demand with supply, more recently are beautiful buildings, and are also low risk contributors that don’t overwhelm with traffic or noise violations.
Ok ok, so are they sexy or not. For this train of thought we’re going to look at Overland Park, a city which has recently undergone some change in efforts to make a better city.
Citing The Kansas City Star, the city was off to a great start as the City Council unanimously voted to demolish and rebuild on top of two of the city’s most crime-ridden motels. Good? Great. However, what sparked a bit of backlash was how the redevelopment plan involves a large self storage facility right near their residential neighborhood.
The developer Sky Real Estate LLC had original plans for a $39 million commercial redevelopment on that area which includes a 3-story 76,000 square foot storage facility, along with restaurant space, retail space, and a small hotel. That plan has since hit walls and now has transpired into what many think might just be a car wash and the storage facility.
