The List:

In 2007, I designed, entitled, and constructed a groundbreaking climate-controlled self-storage facility in Brookfield, WI. Partnering with my client, I transformed a challenging site in a municipality that had zero interest in self-storage into a project the city approved unanimously. That win came down to three strengths I bring to every project: exceptional design, constant communication, and strategic patience.

By pioneering cutting-edge material solutions that met the City's strict design criteria while lowering construction costs, I developed a proven template for beautiful, affordable self-storage facilities. That template has since secured approvals in some of the toughest municipalities across the United States. The list below showcases the attractive, profitable self-storage facilities I have delivered nationwide.

Special recognition to Anderson Ashton Design/Build (AADB), and to design|Manage|advise (dMa) for their part in developing successful self-storage development solutions

The List:

Designed, Built, or added onto:

• Self Storage of Goerkes Corner - Town of Brookfield, WI AADB

• The Vault - Waukesha, WI AADB

• The Vault - Menomonee Falls, WI AADB

• Life Storage - St Paul, Ave. - Milwaukee, WI AADB

• Life Storage - Mequon, WI AADB

• Life Storage - New Lenox, IL AADB

• Extra Space - Former Pabst Warehouse - Milwaukee, WI AADB

• Extra Space - Franklin, WI AADB

• Extra Space - Curtis St. - West Allis, WI AADB

• Extra Space - Cleveland Ave. - West Allis, WI AADB

• Extra Space - West Bend, WI AADB

• Silver Spring Self Storage - Milwaukee, WI AADB

• ClearHome Self Storage - Port Washington, WI AADB

• ClearHome Self Storage - New Berlin, WI AADB

• Cube Smart Self Storage - Delavan, WI AADB

• Cube Smart Self Storage - Oak Creek, WI AADB

• Prime Storage - Appleton, WI AADB

• The Toy Box - Oshkosh, WI F|C

Designed but not built:

• Self Storage of Wisconsin - Franklin, WI AADB

• State Street Storage - Wauwatosa, WI AADB

• Life Storage - Elm Grove, WI AADB

• Sun Prairie Self Storage - Sun Prairie, WI AADB

• Superior Storage - Kenosha, WI AADB

• Superior Storage - Town of Middleton, WI dMa

• Superior Storage - Rogers, AR dMa

• Superior Storage - Bentonville, AR dMa

• Superior Storage - Brunswick, GA dMa

• Superior Storage - Port St. Lucie, FL dMa

Current Projects:

• MCP Self Storage - Milwaukee, WI dMa

• Cube Smart Self Storage (Phase 2) - Delavan, WI F|C

• Storage Ninjas Self-Storage - Tucson, AZ F|C

Is Photography Dead

This is a rhetorical question because clearly photography is not dead, but I am struck by the fact that as the quality of pictures coming from our cell phone cameras improve, are we taking the time to compose photos much as we did when we were having to purchase expensive high-speed Kodachrome film for our old 35mm SLR?

I started looking at my cell phones camera roll and was amazed at the sheer volume of pictures there, most of which are devoid of any artistic composition, certainly not worthy of blowing up, framing, and hanging on my wall.

It seems to me that we are just snapping moments so they can be shared to our favorite “social” platform with little thought given to the composition, the direction of the sun and the light angles that creates. Do we consider framing the shot… and when was the last time we cleaned out cell phone cameras lens?

Back when we had to purchase film for any camera, which set a finite number of spots in which to expose that film, we took the time to compose the shot, check the sun angles, made sure the lens cap was removed, and made darn sure that lens was not covered in fingerprints or lint from our pants pocket.

Perhaps it time to start considering the value of a picture and to pay attention to the subject, working with the AI tools and filters this new media offers and perhaps blow-up a picture or two, frame it, and hang it on the wall.

Will Storage Ever Slow

For over 15 years, in one fashion or another, I have been involved in the development of nearly two-million square feet of self-storage facilities, all over the US. In that time, folks smarter than me regarding self-storage, often suggested the self-storage development wave had crested. Yet year-over-year the self-storage title wave keeps growing larger.

The latest buzz I am hearing goes something like, “inflation and interest rates will necessarily cause a rise in vacancies and that future self-storage development will slow down… the wave has finally crested.

Is this really the case?

Anecdotally, I am not seeing this play-out to the level some are suggesting as I have several developers eager to get projects entitled in 2023. Perhaps they are overlooking some obvious warning signs as there have been many false alarms regarding the retraction of self-storage development that never panned out.

Time will tell as it always’ does, but if a horse keeps winning, why bet against it?