Ross has approved plans for a nearly 600-unit self-storage facility designed to be aesthetically pleasing.
Historically, self-storage units consisted of row-upon-row corrugated metal structures and dozens dot the region.
But Kansas City, Mo.-based NorthPoint Development, which launched its Beyond Self Storage company last year, has a concept in which units are within a single, multi-story building.
Beyond plans to place 581 climate-controlled, self-storage units ranging in size from 5-feet-by-5-feet to 10-by-30-feet in a 93,000-square-foot building planned for the 7200 block of Old McKnight Road.
The Ross commissioner voted unanimously March 20 to approve the site plans, which call for a three-story structure on a vacant two-acre parcel just off McKnight Road near Ross Park Mall.
Creating an aesthetically pleasing building is part of the company’s strategy to distinguish itself from competitors, Northpoint Development Project Manager J.J. Jenkins said following the meeting.
“We’re trying to bring class ‘A’ facilities to the market and the look and design of the building is one of the ways we do that,” he said. “We also set ourselves apart from other facilities with some of the features we offer.”
Jenkins noted that all loading and unloading will be done inside the climate-controlled building and the facility will be monitored around-the-clock from the 20 to 30 surveillance cameras.
Although the Ross building is still in design, it will take visual cues from other Beyond Self Storage facilities, which resemble office buildings with glass and metal entrances and windows. The exterior is finished using an EIFS, or Exterior Insulation and Finish System, that consists of smooth metal panels and faux red brick, according to Jenkins.
Since loading and unloading will be done indoors, the facility will not be fenced.
The building will be equipped with automatic overhead garage doors to access the loading area and a pair of elevators for clients to reach the upper levels.
The company plans to begin site work this spring, Jenkins said.
In response to questions from Commissioner Grace Stanko about the business’ day-to-day operations, Jenkins noted that “this will not be a 24-hour-a-day facility.”
Access to the building will be between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., said Jenkins, an attendant on site during daylight hours.
Commissioner Steve Korbel praised the developer for taking into account the facility’s impact on nearby residents, particularly along Wimer Circle.
“Early in the process, we met with the developer and were able to address concerns about things like the (operating) hours, where the Dumpster would be located and lighting,” Korbel said.
“The developer was very accommodating to the neighbors’ concerns, and we were able to deliver something for the township that is both beneficial to the developer as well as the neighborhood,” Korbel said.
NorthPoint launched its self-storage business last year with a facility in Overland Park, Kan. Facilities are also under construction in St. Louis, Mo. And Minneapolis, Minn., according to Jenkins.