Magnificent Metal Monday – Broad Street Self-Storage Case Study

Photo Credit: Inside Self-Storage

According to Storeganize, “The self storage industry, currently valued at $54 billion, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.53% between 2022 and 2027 to hit a whopping $83.6 billion at the end of the forecast period, with the North American market is projected to contribute the largest chunk of this figure.” Given this projected demand, how will communities maintain their aesthetics as green space or older buildings give way to these typically nondescript, linear, modular looking buildings? Take a look at this MCA Case Study where metal roofing and wall panels achieve a desired aesthetic for a visible self-storage facility in a southern Californian town.

According to Ken Gieseke, McElroy Metal‘s vice president of marketing, “The focus of the Broad Street Self-Storage facility was the community. It was important to construct a modern, attractive and functional space.” Given its location on a busy street in San Luis Obispo, California, the building’s owners wanted the facility to blend in with the attractive architectural surroundings.

Project Manager for MakoRabco Steel of Carlsbad, California, Raul Gonzales, commented, “It was important to the owners, who live in the community, to erect a self-storage facility that was functional and enhanced the aesthetics of the San Luis Obispo community.” As such, the main building, nearest the road, features towers and pop-outs (awnings) to help with drainage and add an aesthetic element to the building.

Building Details

MakoRabco Steel erected three buildings during Phase 1 of this project, a total of 442 units. Phase 2, which will double the storage capacity, is in the drawing stage and calls for two more buildings. Phase 1’s three buildings accounted for 59,430 square feet and included metal panels from McElroy Metal for the roofing, end walls and side walls.

Photo Credit: McElroy Metal
Photo Credit: McElroy Metal

The roofing was a 24-gauge Mirage concealed fastener panel, some in Sherwin-Williams Fluropon PVDF Charcoal and some in Galvalume. A 26-gauge U-Panel was installed on the end walls and a 26-gauge Multi-Rib panel was used for the side walls, both in Sherwin-Williams Fluropon PVDF Clay.

McElroy Metal also supplied Clay trim, Charcoal gutters and downspouts, Charcoal awnings and Charcoal soffits. Janus International manufactured the Cedar Red exterior roll-up doors and the Glossy White interior roll-up doors.

“The design was a collaboration between us, the architect and the county, and since it’s on such a heavily trafficked road, coming into San Luis Obispo, we did work with the county to make sure the façade of the property was designed in a way that was aesthetically pleasing,” says Chase Morgan of Morgan Enterprises, owners of Broad Street Self-Storage. “The county did push us, in a sense, to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing than normal. Eventually, we agreed with the county that we were OK with the design, the arches, the architectural details on the front. We figured this could be our flagship self-storage facility.” 

McElroy Metal will be exhibiting at METALCON 2023, scheduled for October 18-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Be sure to visit them in Booth #7001 on the show floor. Registration will be opening soon but you can PRE-REGISTER now and BOOK YOUR HOTEL through our trusted housing partner, Globetrotter Travel.

For more than 30 years, METALCON has been the only annual tradeshow devoted exclusively to the application of metal in construction and design and is produced in partnership with PSMJ Resources, Inc. and the Metal Construction Association.

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