Adaptive Reuse: U-Haul Reveals Plan for Vacant Kmart in Muskogee

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (Oct. 4, 2018) — U-Haul® will soon be presenting a modern self-storage facility in Muskogee thanks to the recent acquisition of a former Kmart® at 4 E. Shawnee St. The 89,355-square-foot building was acquired on July 19.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Muskogee has opened a temporary showroom and is currently offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment, moving supplies and more.

"Muskogee is booming, and U-Haul needs to follow suit," said Jim Smith, U-Haul Company of Tulsa president. "Our goal is to meet the growing demand for climate-controlled self-storage in the Muskogee neighborhoods."

Property renovations will soon render approximately 700 indoor self-storage units with climate-control and high-tech security features at affordable price points. U-Box portable moving and storage containers, U-Haul Remote 24/7® access, professional hitch installation, propane and more will also be available on the 19.67-acre lot.

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Muskogee at (918) 682-1092 or stop by to visit general manager Matthew Hunter and his team. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

The recent acquisition of the former Kmart was driven by U-Haul 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 this vacant big-box store, U-Haul prevented the use of 765 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 771 passenger cars); avoided 6,045 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 122 miles of concrete blocks); kept 6,888 tons of building and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 265 dump trucks traveling 5,563 miles); and stopped 5,508,307 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 423 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).

“We’re eager to put our adaptive reuse program to work in Muskogee,” Smith said. “Many large box stores close and stay dark for years, becoming blight on their communities. We’re excited to breathe new life into this building.”

Smith expects to maintain a staff of seven or more Team Members when the work is completed. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within Muskogee. U-Haul always encourages local contractors to bid on construction 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