Abandoned Strip Mall Getting Makeover as U-Haul Self-Storage Facility in Baraboo

BARABOO, Wis., Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® is reviving a deserted Baraboo building with the opening of U-Haul Moving & Storage of Baraboo at 625 Linn St. The 16.11-acre property was once home to a JCPenney®-anchored strip mall but has been vacant for more than eight years.

U-Haul began offering truck and trailer sharing, moving supplies, professional hitch installation, and U-Box portable moving and storage containers on Nov. 6 out of a temporary showroom.

Renovation plans call for the creation of indoor climate-controlled self-storage units with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Self-storage will be available in early 2018. Propane will also be offered in the near future.

"This is a beautiful community and it doesn't deserve to have empty buildings sitting around and becoming outdated," said Adam Sonnleitner, U-Haul Company of Southwestern Wisconsin and Rockford president. "We're excited to make our community look more welcoming while serving the moving and storage needs of our residents here."

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Baraboo at (608) 402-4052 or stop by to see the progress of the building. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

The recent acquisition of the 175,078-square-foot facility was driven by U-Haul Company's 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-construction materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.

By repurposing the abandoned Baraboo property, U-Haul prevented the use of 1,399 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 1,410 passenger cars); avoided 6,485 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 131 miles of concrete blocks); kept 7,994 tons of construction and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 307 dump trucks traveling 6,457 miles); and stopped 8,225,174 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 631 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).

"We're pleased to meet the demands of DIY movers in and around Baraboo with our first facility here," Sonnleitner added. "We look forward to being part of this community for years to come."

When the location is fully operational, Sonnleitner expects to employ at least 10 Team Members. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth in the Baraboo area.

The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 is modernizing the moving industry by offering self-service and live verify technology to enhance customer and community safety. This technology allows for the self-pick-up and self-return of U-Haul trucks to be done entirely by smartphone at any hour – day or night. Membership is free once customers create an account on uhaul.com.

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 more than 150,000 trucks, 112,000 trailers and 40,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 581,000 rooms and more than 51 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: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-263-6981
Website: uhaul.com

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SOURCE U-Haul