U-Haul Repurposes Former Bakery to Expand Footprint in Philadelphia

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Sep 30, 2015, 01:36 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lily Rivera, general manager at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Allegheny West, typically hears one of two things from do-it-yourself movers as they stroll through the doors of the sprawling 432,000-square foot facility at 2801 W. Hunting Park Ave.

Some customers are eager to share sugar-filled memories of a time when they worked in this historic building, previously a Tastykake® factory and now one of U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania's newest property acquisitions.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Allegheny West has repurposed the vacated building at 2801 W. Hunting Park Ave., formerly the Tastykake factory, to enhance the North Philadelphia neighborhood.

Other customers simply want to know if there is anywhere in the former Tasty Baking plant the aroma of butterscotch Krimpets and other goodies still lingers.

"There's not...but it's the question everybody asks," Rivera said. "We want them to share their memories. One lady comes in here to rent U-Haul vans each week. She used to walk in the alley behind the store because once a week at a certain time, they'd give out free Kandy Kakes and all the kids in the neighborhood would show up."

The acquisition of U-Haul Moving & Storage of Allegheny West was driven by U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul® supports infill development 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.

Adaptive reuse also is effective for preserving historic architecture, like this six-story masonry built in 1923 (with additions made through 1990). Aside from preserving a piece of Philadelphia's past, U-Haul is meeting a major need for storage and moving products in the area, according to Gerald Solarski Jr., marketing company president for U-Haul Company of North Philadelphia.

"We were invited to a local community meeting a couple of months ago, and during the meeting one lady made me turn around and asked me if I had wings," Solarski said. "She called U-Haul angels for making this building useful again and restoring it to its former state. The Tastykake building is so iconic, and the community was built around that factory. So when Tastykake closed operations there in 2010, the air went out of the community."

Truck, trailer and U-Box® container rentals are currently available along with moving supplies in the temporary showroom. When renovations are finished, there will be 3,200 self-storage units on the 3.07-acre property.

"U-Haul is going to be a big asset to the community because this is going to one of the biggest U-Haul locations nationwide, and we'll be able to provide a lot of employment opportunities," Rivera added. "I always try to hire within the area."

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Allegheny West at (267) 687-0177 or visit the store from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

To learn more about U-Haul in the news, visit myuhaulstory.com.

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Phone: 602-263-6194
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SOURCE U-Haul