Adaptive Reuse: U-Haul Reveals Plans for Former Kmart in Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Feb. 20, 2020) — U-Haul® will soon be presenting an impressive self-storage facility in Bristol thanks to the recent acquisition of the former Kmart® property at 2854 W. State. St.

U-Haul Storage of Bristol will open a temporary showroom in March, offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment and moving supplies. U-Haul acquired the 114,980-square-foot building on Jan. 15.

Adaptive reuse of the property will render about 60,000 square feet of indoor self-storage, giving customers access to climate-controlled rooms with high-tech security features at affordable price points. The facility should be fully operational by 2021.

Propane, professional hitch installation, U-Box® portable storage containers, drive-in load/unload areas, U-Haul Remote 24/7® access for self-storage customers, the ecofriendly Take A Box, Leave A Box program, and more will soon be available on the 10.82-acre lot.

“U-Haul will be renovating the former Kmart store to serve as a state-of-the-art self-storage facility,” said Clay McQuade, U-Haul Company of Knoxville president. “This building has been vacant since 2016. It was becoming blight on the community. We’re eager to breathe life back into this property. We want to be a business anchor for Bristol. We invite others to invest here.”

While U-Haul Storage of Bristol is under construction, nearby U-Haul facilities and neighborhood dealers are available to assist customers. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Bristol at 2975 W. State St. is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Acquisition of the property was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The 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.

“Big-box stores can remain empty for many years, because it takes a unique company to utilize these larger spaces,” McQuade added. “Our goal is to work closely with our new neighbors and city officials to offer a contemporary self-storage facility that benefits the entire area.”

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. Since 2017, U-Haul Live Verify? technology has allowed customers to conduct transactions entirely on their smartphones at any hour – day or night. There are no membership fees. Create an online account at uhaul.com to start skipping the lines and stop worrying about store hours.

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 1.7 million unedited customer reviews, transparent pricing and payment release subject to customer approval have led to 94 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 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 167,000 trucks, 120,000 trailers and 43,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 697,000 rooms and 60.7 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