U-Haul Adaptive Reuse of Shuttered Kmart to Benefit Richmond

RICHMOND, Ind. (Oct. 22, 2020) — U-Haul® has released the sustainability impact its adaptive reuse project will have at the former Kmart® store at 3150 National Road.

The building, erected in 1960, was vacated in 2019 and has remained empty. U-Haul acquired the 94,842-square-foot building on Sept. 9.

Adaptive reuse plans call for the creation of more than 700 indoor self-storage units, giving customers access to a variety of climate-controlled rooms with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Self-storage customers will have extended hours access.

“Repurposing vacated buildings and eliminating blight to benefit our communities is a staple of our business,” said Mark Quinn, U-Haul Company of Dayton president. “We are eager to bring our sustainability model to Richmond. We will continue to work with city officials to develop a site plan that’s best for everyone.”

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Richmond will also offer self-move services like truck and trailer sharing, moving supplies, towing equipment, U-Box® portable storage containers and more. Professional hitch installation and propane will eventually be available on the 7.7-acre property.

By repurposing the former Kmart building, U-Haul prevented the use of 1,251 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 1,261 passenger cars); avoided 5,625 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 114 miles of concrete blocks); kept 6,876 tons of building and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 264 dump trucks traveling 5,554 miles); and stopped 7,284,254 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 559 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).

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.

Quinn expects to employ at least 12 Team Members when the store is fully operational. U-Haul will look hire locally to promote job growth within Richmond. Find U-Haul career opportunities at uhauljobs.com.

While U-Haul Moving & Storage of Richmond is being renovated, nearby U-Haul facilities and neighborhood dealers are available to serve customers. U-Haul Moving & Storage at National Road at 5900 National Road 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.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul has remained open throughout the COVID-19 outbreak while offering contactless programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people’s homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and countless other dependent groups, in addition to the household mover.

Please visit uhaul.com/announcement for more information on how U-Haul is keeping its Team Members and customers safe.

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 176,000 trucks, 127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 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