Adaptive Reuse: U-Haul Repurposing Vacant Kmart for Self-Storage in Yakima

YAKIMA, Wash. (April 27, 2018) — U-Haul® will soon be presenting a modern self-storage facility in southeast Yakima thanks to the recent acquisition of a former Kmart® at 2304 E. Nob Hill Blvd. U-Haul acquired the 116,702-square-foot building on March 8.

U-Haul Moving & Storage at East Nob Hill has opened a temporary showroom and is currently offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment, moving supplies and U-Box portable moving and storage containers.

Property renovations will render about 1,000 indoor self-storage units with climate-control and high-tech security features at affordable price points. Propane, professional hitch installation, and covered RV/boat/vehicle storage will also be offered in the near future on the 11.54-acre lot.

“This building has been sitting vacant for several years, and we are eager to put our adaptive reuse program to use in Yakima,” stated Manny Mendez, U-Haul Company of Inland Northwest president. “Many times when large ‘box stores’ close, they stay dark for a long time and fall into disrepair. Our reuse of this building will be great for U-Haul, the environment and Yakima.”

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage at East Nob Hill at (509) 453-8110 or stop by to visit general manager Drew Bates and his team. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

The recent acquisition of the Yakima facility 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.

By repurposing the former Kmart, U-Haul prevented the use of 457 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 461 passenger cars); avoided 6,995 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 141 miles of concrete blocks); kept 7,495 tons of building and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 288 dump trucks traveling 6,054 miles); and stopped 4,658,978 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 357 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).

“The cooperation of our city officials has been awesome,” Mendez noted. “Our neighbors have been supportive of our plans. We can’t wait to offer a convenient and efficient self-move and self-storage facility for this community.”

Mendez expects to maintain a staff of 10 or more Team Members when the facility is fully operational. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Yakima 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. 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 more than 150,000 trucks, 112,000 trailers and 40,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 581,000 rooms and more than 51 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