Bannister’s Kmart becomes CubeSmart

Bannister’s CubeSmart Opens for Business

By John Sharp

The long awaited conversion of the western portion of the former Kmart store on the southwest corner of Bannister & Hillcrest Roads to climate controlled storage has been completed and CubeSmart Self Storage is now open.

The facility at 5615 E. Bannister Rd. includes about 500 storage units ranging in size from 5 feet by 5 feet to as large as 15 by 20 feet.  Online unit rental at www.cubesmart.com has been discounted 15 percent with the first month’s rent free, so a 5X5 unit rents for $51 monthly, a 10X10 unit rents for $144.50 and a 10X20 unit rents for $212.50.  Monthly insurance rates are $12 for $2,000 coverage, $17 for $3,000 coverage and $27 for $5,000 coverage.

CubeSmart’s security cameras provide around the clock video recording.  At press time, the facility was only open during office hours – 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday since work was continuing on the facility’s gates.  When that is completed, persons may access the facility from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Packing materials are available at the site, and deliveries are accepted.  A small portion of the parking lot has been resurfaced and traffic islands installed, but the grounds still need to be landscaped.

Approved plans for the area called for part of the former Kmart to be used for a sit down restaurant, with additional restaurant pad sites on the large parking lot.  Recently there have been discussions about locating a grocery store in the eastern portion of the building, including the possibility of moving the relatively small Price Chopper at Bannister Rd. & Blue Ridge Blvd. to the site.

Construction of another new business in the area, a 6,700 square foot gas station and convenience store in the southwest quadrant of I-49 and Red Bridge Rd., is well underway and is expected to be completed in October or November.

The facility at 5151 E. Red Bridge Rd. will offer Phillips 66 fuel and will have 20 gas pumps on 10 fuel islands and 19 parking spaces.  Mohammad Asif, an owner of the facility who also owns the nearby Sinclair station and convenience store on the northeast corner of Red Bridge and Hillcrest Roads, said he may later add a car wash to the facility.

Asif said the facility will offer fried chicken and pizza prepared on site, other standard convenience store items and alcoholic beverages by the package.  He said the facility will create 20-30 jobs, and a security guard will be present during operating hours.