By Marianne Napoles
US Storage Centers opened for business on Fairfield Ranch Road, just east of Hotel Chino Hills. This view is from Soquel Canyon Parkway
A red light turns green on the storage unit when it is unlocked via a phone app. The interior is modern and well-lit. Computer monitors are shown on the back wall of the lobby to provide security for the facility.
Four years after it was approved by the Chino Hills Planning Commission, the 130,149-square-foot self-storage facility is open for business in the small retail center where Denny’s and Starbucks are located on Soquel Canyon Parkway and Fairfield Ranch Road in Chino Hills.
Resembling a modern office building, the facility at 15443 Fairfield Ranch Road, includes 920 self-storage units, both small and large.
Tenants have access to the property and their storage unit through an app on their Smart phones.
The facility has climate-controlled storage space, passenger elevators, 24/7 video recording, and moving carts available for use.
When developer Nancy Bane of Sorsirs, Inc., appeared before the Planning Commission and City Council in 2018 and 2019 for project approval, she said her company invested $15 million in the project, which was named “The Storage District.”
On Wednesday, real estate investment management firm Buchanan Street Partners announced it acquired the facility for $24.5 million.
Westport Properties, Inc., will act as third-party manager, operating under its US Storage Centers brand.
Irvine, Calif., based Westport Properties has purchased Chino Mini Storage, an 81,000-square-foot self-storage facility in the Inland Empire city of Chino, Calif., CBRE’s Self Storage Advisory Group represented the seller Legacy Interests, in the $18.8 million transaction.
“Self-storage investments continue to hold their value despite economic headwinds,” said CBRE Vice Chairman Nick Walker. “Chino Mini Storage offered the buyer a rare opportunity to acquire a never-before-traded property in a highly visible location adjacent to one of California’s fastest-growing counties.”
The property consists of 13 buildings with 701 self-storage units ranging in size from 25 to 360 square feet. Situated less than five minutes from the 70 freeway and Highway 60, Chino Mini Storage features outdoor boat, RV and car parking, drive-up electronic-gate access, 24-hour video surveillance, perimeter fencing and an on-site manager.
