South Beach Plans to Make Self Storage Sexy

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South Beach Plans to Make Self Storage Sexy

With its 80-degree weather and affinity for swimsuits, nearly everything the infamous South Beach is associated with becomes glamorous and desirable. Two South Florida developers are banking on the allure of the area to bring in self storage customers that want to add a little flare to the their self storage needs. The proposed site would be located on Alton Road, which is already home to some of South Beach’s hottest nightclubs and restaurants.

The four-year process of getting the approval to build a self storage facility on Alton Road involved rezoning land, seeking design approval and several design changes by architects Gutierrez and Lozano. The 22, 000 square-foot facility will target those living in the already overpriced condos in the area, who need a little extra space to store their items. The proposed site for the facility is 633 Alton Road . The building itself will fit perfectly with South Beach’s swanky ambiance as designs so far look more like a hotel than a self storage facility, making it perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing self storage facilities in the world.

EP SoBe Storage, led by Ken Edelman and Alan Potamkin, is the company behind the new development. Edelman and Potamkin were involved in an arduous process of trying to convince the city of Miami Beach to make zoning changes to the historical district. Since the area is known for its stylish buildings, the new facility had to fall in line with the design precedent that has been long upheld.

"The city made us design a building that was iconic because it was at the gateway to the city," Edelman said. "It was tough. [Gutierrez] did many redesigns."

When questioned as to the logic behind putting a self storage facility in an area like South Beach, Edelman had this to say:

"The market is very underserved. There's not enough self-storage on the beach. Everywhere you go in any community, there is a certain amount of self-storage needed to serve the needs of people. People move, or they don't have enough room for their stuff."

Construction will begin in June and Edelman is already looking toward his next self storage project – a 70,000-square-foot self storage facility in Coral Gables.

Jodi Reid

About Jodi Ann Reid

Jodi is a writer for the Self Storage Blog. She enjoys traveling, working out, eating healthy and having fun.