Adaptive Reuse: U-Haul Shares Plans for Former Kmart in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. (Dec. 11, 2018) — U-Haul® will soon be showcasing a new retail and self-storage facility in Columbus thanks to the recent acquisition of the former Kmart® store at 2500 Airport Thruway.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of North Columbus is currently operating out of a temporary showroom and offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment and moving supplies. U-Haul acquired the 90,223-square-foot building in October.

“This location is perfect for U-Haul because it’s in the center of the city and just a few miles from Columbus State University,” said Rogar Bishop, U-Haul Company of Southern Georgia president. “We’re pleased to bring our state-of-the-art self-storage and moving services to this neighborhood.”

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of North Columbus at (706) 405-7153 or stop by to see our progress. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

Adaptive reuse of the property will render about 700 indoor self-storage units, giving customers access to climate-controlled rooms with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Propane, professional hitch installation, and U-Box® portable storage containers will also be offered on the 7.38-acre lot in the near future.

The recent acquisition of the Kmart property was driven by U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. Our adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.

“Reusing old buildings has been a U-Haul staple for decades,” Bishop noted. “Most of our 1,800 U-Haul-owned and -operated stores are a product of adaptive reuse. We’re excited to employ our eco-friendly design here in Columbus.”

Bishop expects to maintain a staff of eight or more Team Members when the store is completed. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Columbus community. U-Haul always encourages local contractors to bid on renovation work.

The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 is revolutionizing the moving industry through its more convenient, more secure way to pick up and return a truck. U-Haul live verification technology allows rental transactions to be carried out entirely on a smartphone at any hour – day or night. There are no membership fees. Simply visit uhaul.com to create an online account.

For self-movers who aim to keep their costs low but need extra hands to help with their move, MovingHelp.com has been successfully pairing customers with reliable Moving Help® Service Providers for more than a decade. The online marketplace lets customers shop and compare local moving companies that provide labor services including: loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, cleaning, and U-Box pick up/delivery. More than 1.5 million unedited customer reviews, transparent pricing and payment release subject to customer approval have led to 93 percent of Moving Help users rating their experience four stars or higher.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 now offers customers access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the self-service options on their internet-connected mobile devices. U-Haul customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 161,000 trucks, 118,000 trailers and 42,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 632,000 rooms and 55.2 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.

 Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com