More than 14 million travelers traipse through Nashville every year, but few escape the confines of the big city to explore some of the Music City’s pristine countryside. And that’s just fine for the lucky ones who head only 15 miles out of town to experience all that Percy Priest Lake has to offer.
Stretching 42 miles long, Percy Priest Lake is an outdoor-rec mecca of hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, jet skiing and more. The lake’s abundant offerings and close proximity to downtown Nashville also make it the perfect spot to meet the growing demand for toy storage, which is exactly how BlueGate Boat & RV Storage came to be. But the BlueGate facility serves more than a place to store high-priced outdoor rigs, presenting 
itself as a Class A site worthy of claiming Toy Storage Nation’s Facility of the Month Award.
The facility, originally built in 2010 by a local boat dealer, was acquired in 2021 by Madison Capital Group before being rebranded as BlueGate Boat & RV Storage. “It was the first standalone, dedicated boat and RV storage facility with fully enclosed units in the metro Nashville-Davidson County,” says Neil Dyer, who led the acquisition for Madison Capital Group.
The site comprises 268 rentable spaces across a comfortable 9 acres of land smack dab on Percy Priest Drive–less than a mile from the reservoir bearing the same name. A couple of the lake’s primary attractions are Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort, which is part thrilling waterpark and part tranquil resort, and Seven Points Campground, known for its pristine facilities and gorgeous lakefront RV sites amidst mature trees and peaceful landscapes.
The accessibility to the lake as well as Nashville airport and Interstates 40 and 24 play a significant role in the site’s success, as do the many amenities available to tenants. “This prime location ensures that boat and RV owners can quickly embark on adventures both near and far,” says Jeff Lloyd, Regional Manager. “BlueGate Boat & RV provides effortless access to and from the facility, reducing travel time and increasing convenience.”
Among the 268 spaces, ranging in size from 12×30 to 14×50, 228 are fully enclosed, offering complete protection from the elements. The facility is secured with full perimeter fencing and gate technology, as well, befitting it of Class A standards recognized by Toy Storage Nation.”There’s only one primary competitor within five miles offering a similar unit mix and size,” Dyer adds.
From Acquisition to Class A
Certainly the location of BlueGate Nashville makes it extremely attractive to RV and boat storage investors, but it wasn’t 100% shipshape when the site exchanged hands. Much work went into improvements to meet BlueGate’s high standards. 
“Since acquiring the property, we’ve made significant enhancements and upgrades,” says Dyer, before listing the steps taken to make sure the facility was up to snuff:
- Repaved the property (Fall 2023),
- Enhanced the security system, including new cameras (Summer 2022),
- Built a parking expansion to serve short-term customers who selected the facility because of its proximity to Nashville International Airport (Summer 2023),
- Upgraded to Opentech gate operating systems and installed new gate motors(Fall 2022).
We like to keep things simple,” says Jeff Lloyd, BlueGate Regional Manager. “We provide a secure, clean, functional facility for our tenants.” Pictured below is a graphic from the facility’s website, depicting customer conveniences.
With a 97% occupancy rate, BlueGate looks as good on the books as it does in person, but the team still maintains a steady marketing plan to ensure its presence is made known to potential future tenants. “We pop up in paid and unpaid searches along with a strong local marketing effort spearheaded by the property manager,” says Lloyd. “We also have existing tenants who are eager to bring referrals.”
Lloyd is quick to acknowledge how much he appreciates the professional finesse of the site’s manager, Nick Hewlet, who co-manages the Nashville site along with a few others in the company’s portfolio. “Nick is a huge contributor to the success of the property–as many tenants reference him as their reason for renting at BlueGate,” he says.
Saving the Best for Last
When asked how the owner/operators would describe the experience of running BlueGate in Nashville, the answer is easy. 
“Fun!” says Lloyd. “In addition to servicing our Class A boat and RV customers, we host a great client base including the bulk of the Nashville Party Bus industry, food trucks, luxury transportation fleets, tour buses for national music acts, as well as many other local businesses.
“We have built solid relationships with our loyal customers,” he continues. “They love our facility as much as we love hosting them on-site … which is supported by our five-star Google Review score!”
To learn more about BlueGate Boat & RV Storage, click here.
