By Esther McKenna and Dave Vieser
Construction to begin soon on storage warehouse
Premier Storage Solutions has acquired three vacant buildings at 36-48 Merrick Road, on the Rockville Centre/Lynbrook border, and will construct a new four-story facility on the 1.46 acre site, replacing several smaller and older structures. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin in September.
The leading self-storage developer bought the properties from Milone Realty for $1.9 million. The site is located on the south side of Merrick Road, just east of Ocean Avenue, and is located within the confines of the Malverne School District.
Aileen Green of Insignia/ESG in Syosset, which represents Premier Storage on all of its Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn acquisitions, said: "The current area is an eye sore; the new facility will enhance its look."
Although the selected location is in a heavily traveled area, this particular type of business does not pose the same traffic and parking problems as other commercial businesses, like Home Depot, said Greg Basmajian, an architect from the Plainview firm employed by Premier. "Aside from the obvious beautification and tax benefits to the area and the school district, the storage facility provides a service for the community," said Mr. Basmajian who labeled Premier a "quiet use" business. "Residents need not worry that there will be a lot of additional traffic due to this business."
Why this site? Tom Schaffler, managing partner of the Memphis-based storage developer, said it was "a high-volume area" with "strong visibility."
"The demographics dictate that there is a need for the use of a storage facility and the population is such that [Premier] believes the Rockville Centre/Lynbrook area to be a desired location," said Mr. Basmajian.
The area is currently surrounded by commercial, rather than residential, structures and is located directly across from Smith Pond, adjacent to the LIPA substation, on the north side of the Long Island Rail Road.
According to Ms. Green, Premier Storage has already purchased six properties in Nassau and Suffolk in the past 12 months. This project is scheduled for completion next June.
