Rent a SELF-STORAGE unit
in Southeastern Connecticut
WATERFORD, Conn. - Next week, Cross Road Rent-A-Space, at 175 Cross Road in Waterford will open an expansion of climate-controlled self storage units, more than doubling the size of the existing facility.
The $2 million dollar expansion features a two-story building with 250 new storage units varying from the size of a closet to a garage. An oversized elevator services the second floor units, and the temperature in the building is maintained in the range of 50° - 80°F.
According to Michael Dunn, principal of the Rent-A-Space Companies: "This is the type of self storage that customers will demand in the future. We visited many-of-the-art facilities in Florida, Texas and Nevada, and we emulated the best features from these facilities."
The interior hallways are well lit and have a high gloss white finish, creating a bright and inviting appearance. New security features include computerized access gates, security cameras and intercoms to allow customers to easily contact the manager in the office. Hallway sections in the large building are color-coded to make it easier for new customers to find their way around.
According to Frank Lishing, Operations Manager for Rent-A-Space, "We're very proud of this project. We general-contracted the entire design and construction, and we paid a lot of attention to details; there's even music piped into the building."
Rent-A-Space purchased the original self storage facility with 300 units in 36,000 S.F. of buildings in the spring of 1999. The company also purchased the adjacent property at 179 Cross Road, formerly occupied by Feldman Brothers Inc. The building at 179 Cross Road was renovated and is now leased to Yankee Gas, while the land to the rear was used to expand the self storage site to 7.77 acres. The Cross Road facility in Waterford now has a total of 570 storage units in 76,500 S.F. of buildings, and a concrete foundation in place for another expansion next year.
Typical customers in the self storage industry include people who are in the process of moving, or simply have too many things and not enough storage space. About 25% are commercial customers such as small contractors storing records, parts and equipment, or retail businesses requiring seasonal storage for inventory. Businesses like self storage because of the flexibility it offers. There is no long term lease requirement; and, with the variety of storage unit sizes, they can rent just the amount of space they need, when they need it.
The exact same types of customers who use traditional unheated storage also use climate-controlled storage. A climate-controlled facility simply eliminates the temperature swings from freezing in the winter to hot and humid in the summer. "Climate-controlled storage is preferable, but it's basically just the difference between storing in your garage and storing in a spare room in your house," notes Dunn.
The Rent-A-Space companies are headquartered in Niantic and currently own and manage over a thousand storage units in three facilities in Waterford, East Lyme and Columbia.
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Last updated 3/30/05
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