Kmart Store Gets New Life As Self Storage

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Rock Springs. Image courtesy of U-Haul

U-Haul has acquired an 89,792-square-foot former Kmart store in Rock Springs, Wyo., to convert it into a self storage facility. The firm completed the transaction of the 8.2-acre property at the end of last year. The property marks the fifth store owned and operated by the firm in the state. 

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Rock Springs is located within a retail area and will encompass 700 climate-controlled storage units with high-tech security features. Currently, the facility offers truck and trailer sharing, boxes and moving supplies, but portable storage containers with towing equipment, hitch accessories and bike racks will also be added soon.

As U-Haul is expanding its footprint in the market, instead of commiting to ground-up developments, the company remains focused on green initiatives through its adaptive reuse strategy, said Paul Johnson, president of U-Haul, in prepared remarks.

The company’s recent conversions include another 100,984-square-foot former Kmart store in West Columbia, S.C., and a 2.6-acre property that housed medical offices and a fitness center in Modesto, Calif. The firm is also transforming a former historic rickhouse building into a 1,400-unit self storage facility in Lexington, Ky. Overall, U-Haul owns nearly 825,000 rentable storage units across North America.