Adaptive Reuse: U-Haul Repurposing Former Toys R Us in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® will soon be presenting an impressive retail and self-storage facility in Annapolis thanks to the recent acquisition of the former Toys R Us® at 2115 West St.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Annapolis is currently operating out of a temporary showroom and offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment and moving supplies. U-Haul acquired the 41,440-square-foot building on March 1.

Adaptive reuse of the property will render about 10,000 square feet of indoor self-storage, giving customers access to climate-controlled rooms with high-tech security features at affordable price points. The facility should be fully operational by spring 2020.

"U-Haul will be renovating the vacant Toys R Us store to serve as a state-of-the-art moving and self-storage facility," said Mike Finkelstein, U-Haul Company of Baltimore president. "Big-box stores like this can remain vacant and become blight on the community. U-Haul is happy to step up, breathe life back in this building, and invite other businesses to invest in this neighborhood."

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Annapolis at (443) 569-3469 or stop by to see our progress. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

Acquisition of the former Toys R Us store was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. Our adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.

"This site was attractive to us because our ecofriendly business model encourages the reuse of vacant, existing facilities," Finkelstein said. "We want to serve as an anchor for this community while renovating a large space to serve the self-storage needs of Annapolis."

The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 is revolutionizing the moving industry through its more convenient, more secure way to pick up and return a truck. U-Haul live verification technology allows rental transactions to be carried out entirely on a smartphone at any hour ? day or night. There are no membership fees. Simply visit uhaul.com to create an online account.

For self-movers who aim to keep their costs low but need extra hands to help with their move, MovingHelp.com has been successfully pairing customers with reliable Moving Help® Service Providers for more than a decade. The online marketplace lets customers shop and compare local moving companies that provide labor services including: loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, cleaning, and U-Box pick up/delivery. More than 1.5 million unedited customer reviews, transparent pricing and payment release subject to customer approval have led to 93 percent of Moving Help users rating their experience four stars or higher.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 now offers customers access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the self-service options on their internet-connected mobile devices. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 161,000 trucks, 118,000 trailers and 42,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 632,000 rooms and 55.2 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor
Jeff Lockridge
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 602-263-6981
Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul