Lawrence, Massachusetts
Industrial Conversion & Self-Storage Development
65 Manchester Street
The Opportunity
65 Manchester Street presented a very different kind of opportunity: more than 106,000 square feet of existing industrial space in a century-old Lawrence building with strong bones, useful access and a long history of commercial use.
The property had most recently operated as a commercial laundry facility before becoming available through a Ten-X auction. Its scale and existing structure made it a strong candidate for adaptive reuse rather than ground-up development.
The opportunity was to preserve the character of the building while converting it into a modern self-storage facility designed around convenience, drive-in access and efficient use of the existing footprint.
From Industrial Use to Modern Self-Storage
The former Arlington Mills Dye House dates to 1910 and had spent decades serving industrial users before its most recent life as a commercial laundry facility.
Converting more than 106,000 square feet of existing industrial space required working around the building’s original structure while creating a modern storage layout that could function efficiently for today’s customers.
The completed redevelopment introduced climate-controlled self-storage, drive-in loading and unloading, electronically controlled access, ADA-accessible spaces and rooms as tall as 12 feet — all within the footprint of the historic building.
Adaptive Reuse & Project Impact
Rather than replacing the existing industrial building with ground-up construction, the Lawrence project centered on adaptive reuse of a century-old structure with deep ties to the city’s manufacturing history.
Originally built in 1910 as part of the Arlington Mills complex, the property had evolved through generations of industrial use before being repositioned for modern self-storage.
Reusing the existing structure returned 106,693 square feet of industrial space to productive use while preserving substantial portions of the original building and giving the property a new operating life.
106,693 SQ. FT.
Existing industrial building repurposed
1910
Original Arlington Mills Dye House
12-FT. ROOMS
Tall storage options within the existing structure
2021
U-Haul adaptive reuse began
The Finished Facility
Today, 65 Manchester Street operates as a modern climate-controlled self-storage facility in Lawrence, giving a century-old industrial property an entirely new operating life.
The completed redevelopment includes drive-in loading and unloading, electronically controlled access, individually alarmed rooms, ADA-accessible spaces and storage rooms as tall as 12 feet.
What began as a century-old industrial property now combines historic adaptive reuse with a modern customer experience and a productive new use for the building.
Community Connection
The completed Lawrence redevelopment was celebrated with local officials, community leaders, the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and members of the U-Haul team.
The ribbon cutting marked the completion of the adaptive-reuse project and the return of a century-old industrial property to productive use serving customers in Lawrence and the surrounding Merrimack Valley.
My Role
Identifying the Opportunity
My involvement in the Lawrence project began with the evaluation of 65 Manchester Street ahead of its acquisition in 2021. The 106,693-square-foot industrial property ultimately sold for $3 million through a Ten-X auction and was delivered vacant when the former tenant left, creating an immediate opportunity to reposition the asset for self-storage.
What made the property compelling was the combination of scale, existing industrial infrastructure, proximity to I-93 and the ability to reuse a historic building rather than start from the ground up.
Leading the Conversion & Operation
My role continued through the redevelopment and operational planning of the property, including how the existing industrial footprint could be converted into a customer-friendly self-storage facility while preserving the character and usefulness of the building.
That work included planning around drive-in loading and unloading, electronically controlled access, individually alarmed rooms, ADA accessibility and unusually tall storage rooms of up to 12 feet. Those features are part of the facility operating today.
The Result
What I am most proud of is seeing a century-old industrial building returned to productive use in a way that preserved its history while creating a modern storage operation for Lawrence.
The finished property now operates as U-Haul Moving & Storage of Manchester Park, with modern climate-controlled storage and a mix of customer features built into the existing industrial structure.