U-Haul announced plans to utilize an existing building to house portable storage containers after its acquisition of a nearly 2.6-acre property at 1721 Central Ave. in Chattanooga.
The 76,890-square-foot building, formerly a paper recycling center, will be repurposed for a U-Box warehouse. The building will provide space to store hundreds of mobile containers and enable U-Haul to better meet demand for its storage products in Hamilton County, officials said.
The property, now U-Haul Storage at Central Avenue, was acquired on Jan.
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“Tennessee ranked in the top five again on the U-Haul Growth Index, meaning the Volunteer State continues to be a very attractive place to live,” said Clay McQuade, U-Haul Company of Knoxville president. “Every day people are moving to Tennessee. To manage increased demand for our storage products, we needed this extra space to expand operations.”
U-Box containers provide 257 cubic feet of storage and one-ton capacity. This space enables furniture, boxes and other belongings from up to one-and-a-half rooms (on average) to be shipped and stored safely inside each container. Customers can order as many containers as they need and only pay for what they use.
Customers can have the containers shipped to their door or have them stored in a secure U-Haul facility until they know where they are going and when they are needed. If plans change, U-Haul never charges a fee to alter the date or cancel a reservation.
“U-Box provides an easy and secure moving and storage solution,” Mr. McQuade added. “Portable moving containers are increasingly popular. U-Haul customers crave convenience. That’s what we’re here to provide.”
Officials said, "Acquisition of the U-Haul Storage at Central Avenue property was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The 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.
"U-Haul continues to benefit the environment through its shared-use business model. Truck and trailer sharing enables communities to share moving equipment so that families and individuals don’t need to own large-capacity vehicles to transfer belongings. Sustainability initiatives like U-Haul Adaptive Reuse (the preserving and repurposing of existing buildings for new stores), truck modifications to improve fuel economy, and plastic Ready-To-Go Boxes that are shared hundreds of times before being recycled are among the many ways U-Haul promotes green business. U-Box Load Share, the Company’s latest sustainability program, was just named the 2023 Best in Biz gold winner for the Most Environmentally Friendly Service of the Year."