Ebert Cos. is looking to build a new self-storage facility in Maple Grove, according to planning documents and received a concept stage plan approval from the city council last week.
The Maple Grove City Council approved the concept at their Dec. 1 meeting in a unanimous vote, though one council member did ask questions of Ebert around the actual look and interest of the building.
The property would be a four-story indoor storage facility with around 850 units. It would spread 121,700 square feet of space across its four stories, taking up a bit over two acres.
The proposed building would be located off of Garland Lane N., near its intersection with County Road 30. The area in which the project is proposed is sometimes called the Tri-Care area and is designated mixed-use. According to planning documents, the site has townhomes and a new apartment building to the north, an apartment called Garland Commons is to the south and a Caliber Collision and Menards is to the east.
During the meeting, Council Member Rachelle Johnson asked a question about placing the project in the middle of a residential area, regarding the aesthetic of the site.
In response, Maple Grove planner Jesse Corrow said staff could “look at the architecture a little closer” with Ebert during the development stage plan and noted that the site would be a similar height to the Garland Commons.
During his testimony in front of the council, Ebert’s Greg Hayes said the property is not a “slab of concrete” but rather a building that uses concrete with decorative glass and brick with awning features. Ebert previously built a self-storage facility in Maple Grove in 2018. Hayes said that the 2018 property, located at 12986 63rd Ave. N., has received positive feedback on the look and architecture of the site, and went on to call the new property a “step up.”
The property would be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on a Monday through Saturday schedule. It would have 11 parking spots.
A week before the city council’s meeting, the Maple Grove Planning Commission recommended the project be approved by the council. Planning Commission Chair Craig Lamothe called the facility a “great project” for the city to have going forward.
“Storage has come a long way,” he said. “The design of these facilities now going vertical and the architectural appeal are both a great use of the limited space we have in an urban area. … I think it’s a great amenity to have as we build more medium and higher density residential in the city.”
