Storage Facility On The Way In Westhampton Beach

Metro Self Storage, a self-storage company based in Illinois, is expected to open its fifth New York location in Westhampton Beach in 2019.

Work recently began on the construction of a 689-unit storage facility, which is nestled between the railroad tracks and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5350, on a 2.6-acre flag lot on the west side of Old Riverhead Road, just east of the Westhampton train station.

The site falls within the village’s B-2 business district, where a storage facility is an acceptable use under current zoning.

According to site plans, the building will cover 103,000 square feet and stand three stories tall. When completed, it will be the largest commercial structure in the village—a title currently held by the 30,000-square-foot Sunset Avenue building that houses Best Market.

Officials from Metro Self Storage could not immediately be reached for comment this week.

According to Southampton Town records, the property is owned by Self Storage Westhampton LLC. The construction is a joint venture of Metro Self Storage and Fremont Realty Capital, a private equity real estate firm based in San Francisco.

“We’re excited to add another store in the New York market,” Martin Gallagher, the president of Metro Self Storage, said in a press release. “This facility is in a great location in an exceptional community.”

The storage company has been working to build the new facility since 2016, when the initial application was brought before the Westhampton Beach Planning Board.

The facility will feature climate-controlled units, large interior loading bays, elevators, a retail office and motion-activated lighting.

According to the release, security will also be a top priority—the new space will be equipped with a 24-hour video surveillance system, electronic keypad access, LED security lighting and a speaker system that will allow for communication between the storage units and the office.

At this time, it is unclear when construction is expected to be completed.

The storage company has hundreds of locations nationwide, with the closest on Leecon Court in Southampton. Other New York facilities are located in Staten Island, Oakdale and Brooklyn.