Adaptive Reuse at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Pekin

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2909 Court St Pekin, IL 61554

(309) 347-0418

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(309) 347-0418

2909 Court St
Pekin, IL 61554

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Mon-Thur: 7 am–7 pm
Fri: 7 am–8 pm
Sat: 7 am–7 pm
Sun: 9 am–5 pm

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24 hour customer return

Adaptive Reuse in Pekin, IL at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Pekin

Building History

In 1899, Sebastian Spering Kresge invested in his own five and ten cent store where the people of downtown Detroit could go for reasonably priced everyday items. The modest prices were an instant hit with consumers and soon Mr. Kresge had expanded the concept to 85 stores. Even through an era of economic depression, the Kresge stores were able to keep their doors open, selling affordable goods and offering steady jobs. Times evolved and the price of goods inflated, but the S.S. Kresge Company continued to strive to find new models of retail that would continue to provide affordability. In 1920, Mr. Kresge designed a popular one dollar and under store with a green front that would be placed next to the traditional five and ten Kresge stores.

In 1959, the leadership torch was passed to Harry B. Cunningham and he became the president of the company. Under Cunningham's leadership, a new strategy was imagined, that included the modern Kmart discount department store. The first Kmart department store was opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. Within a year, seventeen additional Kmart department stores were also opened around the country. There were also 753 successful Kresge stores still open at the time. In 1976, the company opened an unprecedented 271 Kmart department stores all in one year! Within a year, it was clear the majority of the sales revenue was coming from Kmart branded stores, which resulted in the S.S. Kresge Company officially changing their name to the Kmart Corporation. In 1987, the corporation sold off all of the remaining Kresge branded stores and focused primarily on the bix-box store discount merchandising.

The Big Kmart branded stores arrived in 1996 and boasted a tidy, bright and easy to shop layout as part of the redesign. Big Kmarts also hosted a pantry near the front of the store and accentuated the children's and home fashion departments. In 1990, the new K-Mart logo was unveiled and in 1991 the first Kmart Supercenter was established with fresh produce offerings and a 24 hour shopping experience. In 1999, Kmart also expanded into the e-commerce arena by introducing BlueLight.com which later transformed into the modern Kmart.com.

Unfortunately, on January 22nd, 2002 the Kmart Corporation and 37 of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Thankfully, a restructuring and reorganization under President Julian C. Day has allowed the company to continue to sustain operations at several stores across the country.

The Pekin Kmart building was built in 1970 and U-Haul acquired the building in 2019. This store was branded with a green K-Mart logo and adopted wider aisles, brighter lighting and green aprons for workers as a part of a reorganizing effort after claiming bankruptcy. K-Mart only implemented a handful of the reorganized and rebranded concept stores, making this store truly unique.

Environmental Impact

Serving U-Haul customers since 2019, this facility was built through adaptive reuse of an abandoned building. Adaptive reuse promotes infill development in an effort to strengthen communities, with the following benefits achieved at this site:

135 tons of metal manufacturing & transportation prevented
6,114 tons of new concrete pours avoided
6,379 tons of construction and demolition debris prevented

Energy-efficiency and waste-reduction programs at this facility provide the following estimated benefits each year for the Pekin community:

3,013,668 lbs greenhouse gas emissions prevented

Steel Production 135 tons (123 tonnes) of steel manufacturing and delivery saved to date
Energy 0 kWh annual energy savings
Concrete 6,114 tons (5,548 tonnes) of new concrete pours avoided to date
Emissions 3,013,668 lbs (1,366,991 kgs) of greenhouse gas emissions prevented
Landfill Debris 6,379 lbs (5,789 kgs) of construction debris prevented