Sustainability Impact: U-Haul Reuse of Vacated Kmart to Benefit Florence

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May 24, 2021, 12:34 ET

FLORENCE, S.C., May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® is unveiling the sustainability impact for its adaptive reuse project at the shuttered Kmart® store at 2020 W. Evans St. in Florence.

Erected in 1968, the building was vacated in 2017 and has remained empty. U-Haul acquired the sprawling 124,426-square-foot property on April 15.

Adaptive reuse plans call for the creation of more than 700 indoor self-storage units, providing customers access to a selection of climate-controlled rooms with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Self-storage customers have access to extended hours as well.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of West Florence will also offer essential moving services like truck and trailer sharing, moving supplies, towing equipment, U-Box® portable storage containers, a retail showroom and more. Professional hitch installation and propane will be available on the 10.11-acre property in the near future.

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of West Florence at (843) 662-4935. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday; and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

"U-Haul has been repurposing vacated buildings for decades, and we are excited to bring our sustainability model to Florence," stated Matt McCoy, U-Haul Company of Southern Atlantic Coast president. "We look forward to providing this community a modern, clean and convenient location for all their moving and self-storage needs."

By repurposing the former Kmart building, U-Haul is preventing the use of 1,472 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 1,484 passenger cars); avoiding 6,526 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 132 miles of concrete blocks); keeping 8,154 tons of building and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 314 dump trucks traveling 6,586 miles); and stopping 8,534,275 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 655 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).

Acquisition of the 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.

McCoy plans to hire at least 10 additional Team Members to staff the facility. U-Haul will look to hire locally to support job growth within the Florence community. U-Haul, honored as a "Best for Vets 2020" leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people's homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 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