The former Kmart and adjacent Kmart Service Center buildings have been transformed into a self-storage center. Land parcels in the parking lot are for sale, and other businesses are expected to be built at the site.
On Thursday, a ribbon-cutting and grand opening event took place at National Storage, 1290 N. Monroe St. The business employs two and offers 782 rentable, climate-controlled storage units.
“We have over 70,000 square feet of rental,” Jacob Fuller, True Storage operations manager, said. “The former tire store is where the rents office is located, along with roughly 60 climate-controlled rental units. It’s a huge benefit to Frenchtown.”
Frenchtown’s National Storage is the first self-storage facility in Michigan for the New Hampshire-based True Storage. True Storage converts industrial property and former big box stores, like Kmart, Sears, Toys ‘R Us and Circuit City. The company uses the existing structure, demolishes the interior and enhances the facade.
The Frenchtown location will be managed by Farmington Hills-based Pogoda Companies.
“They have a big pull in that market. We’re new to Michigan. It kind of made sense,” Fuller said.
Frenchtown’s Kmart closed in 2017. In March 2021, the Frenchtown Township Board approved a rezoning of the property to commercial, which allowed True Storage to consider it for its business. True Storage bought the building in 2021.
“The old site of Kmart has been an eyesore and an empty building for years. Frenchtown is pleased to welcome our newest business partner, National Storage, who has done a fantastic job of renovation,” said David Uhl, public safety and economic development director for Frenchtown Charter Township.
True Storage does not need the site’s entire parking lot and plans to sell parcels for retail use.
“The parcels are listed with a local broker and are open to any businesses perusing them,” Fuller said. “Our hope is to revitalize the entire site and bring as much value to the community as possible.”
“Hopefully we can get a nice restaurant in there,” Uhl said.
True Storage began renovation of the two Kmart buildings in late 2022.
“The end of 2022 we really started going on it. The bulk of it was done this year,” Fuller said. “We gave it a clean footprint so that we could properly design and strategically place the units. We demoed; we configured the smaller of the two buildings. The roof was replaced. We added new (roof-top units). We added new lighting fixtures and cameras. All the flooring is replaced. We really went all in on this one. We put our own stamp on it.”
Total Storage currently has 19 other facilities across the county, mostly on the East Coast.
“We have a lot in the New England markets. We also have them in Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky,” Fuller said.
The company is now expanding into other regions.
“Frenchtown is one of six projects we have now. Another 25 are in progress at different stages. We are slowly growing and expanding our operation from the East to the West Coast. We’re very ambitious and very busy. Our goal is to go national and have our hands in every state,” Fuller said.
Most of the company’s facilities have about as many storage units as Frenchtown’s location.
“That’s roughly the target. Some are much smaller, with total units barely touching 400. It depends on what is it we convert,” Fuller said.
Frenchtown’s National Storage had a soft opening in mid-August. So far, about 15 storage units have been rented.
“We’re in the very early stages. Unlike residential, it takes a little more time to lease up. We hope to have stability of 80 to 85% occupancy in two to three years,” Fuller said.
He said the need for storage in increasing.
“With Millennials, Gen Z, there is a demand for it. The housing market is still very aggressive. The younger people get out of college, they’re going to ease their way into it and need (storage). Renting an apartment, they could need the extra space,” Fuller said.
Small businesses also need rental space.
“They store inventory. A landscape company might store their machines,” Fuller said. “There are many purposes behind the need for storage. It’s not just relocation.”
For more information visit truestorage.com
