Facility Features Valet Parking, Climate Control

By Macario Juarez Jr. 
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
September 14, 2003

A grandiose parking garage, big enough to hold 300 motor homes, is being built in Marana as part of a new business park at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and West Orange Grove Road. 

National RV Central plans to open by the summer of 2004, said Robert Schoff, chairman of National Self Storage. The Tucson-based company, which operates 90 storage centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington, is developing the RV storage center, which will cater to the high-end, class-A motor coach owner.

Such a place doesn't exist in Tucson. "We'll have valet parking, a climate-controlled environment and enhanced security," Schoff said. Other amenities include a wash station, a maintenance and detail center, and a dump station for septic purging. "Right now we are just installing the utilities, Schoff said.

Monthly rental prices will depend on the RV's size, but they probably will range between $200 and $400 for 40-footers. National Self Storage's market research shows that indoor parking in Tucson goes for $160 to $200 per month.

National Self Storage, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of local real estate development and equity firm the Schomac Group, first announced plans for the RV garage about two years. 

National RV Central was supposed to open the summer of 2002. But, "we've had a lot of issues," Schoff said. That's because the 26-acre business park is sandwiched between westbound Interstate 10 and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. The developer has had to resolve drainage problems, create access to the I-10 frontage road and convert a one-way private railroad crossing into a two-way public crossing to provide access from East River Road. 

"They've had a lot of hurdles to cross; but they are getting through them all," Marana Town Planner Lisa Shafer said.

The project should receive final plat approval in October. That should spur sales activity on 16 lots that range from half an acre to just over two acres. Prices for the light-industrial zoned land range from $164,200 to $643,150, depending on size and location, said Tom Orr, of Torr Commercial Real Estate Services.

Another four lots, including the 6.4-acre parcel RV Central is taking, are spoken for and in escrow. Two of the buyers are using the space for office-warehouse functions. The other sells western apparel, said Orr, who's marketing the property. He believes businesses, especially contractors, who want proximity to I-10 will be most interested in the property.

"We've received inquiries from purely industrial users to office-warehouse distribution operations," Orr said.

While the property is mostly for sale to owner-users, Scho-mac also is open to building space a business is interested in leasing on a long-term basis, he said. The Northwest Side business park should start taking shape by mid-2004.

* Contact reporter Macario Juarez Jr., at 573-4663 or at mjuarez@azstarnet.com.

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