By Jill Nagy
Plaza 15 Self Storage on Gick Road in Saratoga Springs recently opened a new section with more than 500 climate-controlled units.
The expansion brings their total storage space to 1,357 units. All but 700 of those are climate-controlled.
Mary Ann Debounaventura-Lawrence, facility manager, cited a growing demand for climate-controlled storage space. Previously, the facility had only 125 climate-controlled units and “we needed more,” she said.
She said construction of the new units took a year. They were opened in mid-April and many of them were already spoken for when they became available.
The units are kept at an even temperature, protecting the contents from excessive heat or cold.
The company also moved its offices into the new section.
Monthly rents range from $55 for a 5×5 unit to $250 for a 10×40 unit, for drive-up units that are not temperature-controlled. The temperature-controlled units range from $75 per month for a 5×5 unit to $180 per month for a 10×20 unit, the largest size available.
If customers fail to pay their rent, they receive a certified letter, followed by an eviction notice. The contents of the units are then given to charity or thrown away. There are few defaults, Debounaventura-Lawrence said, and no auctions.
Debounaventura-Lawrence has been with the company for 11 years. However, she pointed out, she worked for the Aronson family, who owns Plaza 15, for 47 years, most of that time, with a furniture and home appliance business that closed in 1994.
The self-storage facility opened in 1992. The company has a total of four employees.
Plaza 15 Self-Storage is located at 30 Gick Road, near Route 50 and Exit 15 of the Northway.
They are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. However, the units are accessible 24 hours a day.
The telephone number is 518 587-6066.