A New Jersey company hopes to build a 145,000 sq. ft. self-storage facility in an industrial park near Fields Corner in Dorchester. The property at 50B Park St. is currently vacant but was most recently occupied by the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) office.
According to a spokesperson for DCF, the agency did not renew their lease last summer and relocated to a more “welcoming” location on River Street in Mattapan.
In a Letter of Intent (LOI) field with the city’s Planning Department on March 3, Gregg Cerino of Poverni Sheikh Group outlined the company’s plans to demolish the existing building and construct a four-story self-storage building of about 145,000 sq. ft., and a one-story accessory building.
“We’re right in line with the zoning,” said Cerino. “I think that is a very appropriate location and not on a main street and tucked in an industrial area. We’re trying to bring in a warehouse use there in what was used as office space and what we believe is a more efficient use in our minds. There is a serious lack of self-storage in that area and a lot of demand.”
Cerino said it would be their first facility in the Boston area, but their 23rd facility on the East Coast. The company plans to own and develop the building, but partner with an existing company like ExtraSpace, Public Storage or CubeSmart to operate the facility. He added that residential units have increased in the area and their studies show pent up demand for storage spaces in and near Fields Corner.
They do not know how many storage units would be in the building but expect the units to be either 5’ x 5’ or 10’ x 30’.
Cerino said they don’t expect to have to seek any zoning relief as the project meets the zoning code and use as a warehouse. However, they do have to work through the Article 80 process due to the square footage.
The project is slated to be on a future agenda of the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA), and an Impact Advisory Group (IAG) for the project is being formed by the Planning Department now.
