JSM Venture Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Self Storage Facility in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL – March 2007 – JSM Venture LLC has broken ground on the construction of Country Club Hills Storage, a state-of-the-art self-storage facility in the Chicago suburb of Country Club Hills. The three-story facility combines value-added storage amenities with best-of-breed architectural treatments that characterize the industry’s new face.

“Country Club Hills Storage is our most impressive self-storage development yet. Every aspect of this property, from the office to the loading area, lighting to the security systems, not to mention our climate controlled space, is state-of-the-art,” said John Mengel, principle of JSM Venture, LLC, a Chicago-based self-storage development firm that builds Class-A facilities in high growth markets.

Country Club Hills Storage sits just 20 miles southwest of downtown Chicago in a new 70-acre retail development that features a 203,000 square foot Super Wal-Mart store and a 16-screen Loews Cinema movie theater as “destination” traffic-generating anchors. Set in this convenient shopping center location, the facility will boast three well-lit, 47-foot-high architectural towers that assure the facility high visibility among the surrounding big box, inline and outlet retail stores.

Indeed, once completed this summer, the high end facility will look more like a retail complex than a traditional self-storage property, with insulated metal panel exterior finishes and store front glazings and displays. An 850-square-foot modern office will offer guests a warm welcome and a 900-square-foot heated loading area with glass overhead doors will keep area residents warm as they move their items into and out of storage during those cold Chicago winters.

Eighty-five percent of the 92,000-square-foot Country Club Hills Storage facility’s 612 storage units are climate controlled, and 15 percent of the units offer exterior drive up access for year-round convenience. Units will range in size from 5X5 to 15X30 and be secured with the latest camera, DVR and access control system technologies. Country Club Hills’ is designed in a fortress-like layout with a U-shaped configuration that intends to offer higher levels of security and screening.

Country Club Hills Storage also features two automatic elevators for easy loading and unloading inside the facility, as well as oversized, drive-up units to accommodate commercial use by area businesses Quick access to and from the facility makes it ideal for consumers looking to store their valuable possessions conveniently located adjacent to the shopping center.

“Thanks to a first class group of architects, engineer and builders and landscape architects, this project will set the standard for self-storage in this region,” Mengel said, noting the collaborative approach between Urban & Associates, Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Bennett & Pless, David R. McCallum Associates and 3 Dimension Construction Management. “This is a prototype project that is the second of many with more to come.”

Country Club Hills Storage is JSM Venture’s latest development. JSM also developed a similar facility managed by Metro Self Storage, a redevelopment of a former metal manufacturing facility site in McCook, Ill. and is nearing completion of a 90,000 SF six-story conversion project in Chicago, which will also be managed by Metro Self Storage. JSM recently partnered with Matrix Capital Advisors to form Matrix Midwest Self Storage LLC, a $10 million real estate equity fund organized to develop and operate institutional quality self storage properties in the greater Chicago and Milwaukee Metropolitan markets.

ABOUT JSM VENTURE LLC
Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., JSM Venture LLC is a self-storage development firm that builds Class-A facilities in high growth markets. John S. Mengel founded the venture in 2004 and has been actively developing properties in the Chicago metropolitan area. Mengel has a proven track record in the storage industry. Prior to launching JSM Venture LLC, Mengel co-owned Chicago Data, a Chicago-based record storage company that was sold to Iron Mountain Corporation. Mengel developed several successful storage facilities during his tenure at Chicago Data. JSM intends to develop five to seven next-generation, institutional quality multi-story facilities over the next two to three years.