Tourbineau Real Estate Partners, which is under contract to buy the historic RDA Building at 800 S. Maynard Ave S, plans to convert the building from office spaces to a self-storage facility, of a style similar to those rented by Public Storage.
In application materials, the developer also noted future plans to build housing on a parking lot on the site, next to the RDA Building.
The International Special Review District approved the change from office space to self-storage on February 11.
The change of use will involve demolishing the office interiors on the first four floors and installing self storage lockers, according to application materials from the architectural team. The outside would also be repainted.
In application materials, Tourbineau noted it has experience with converting vacant properties into self-storage as well as housing, and suggested a future multifamily, workforce housing project will be developed on the south side of the lot in the future.
“We seek to restore the economic vitality of this block by establishing a self-storage use within the RDA building,” according to Tourbineau in the application materials. “This will reduce the parking demand associated with the existing office use and allow multifamily housing to be developed on the south side of the lot in a future phase.”
Notably, one of the few tenants left in the RDA Building offices is The Stranger newspaper, which moved there in 2020. According to The Stranger’s announcement of the move at the time, its lease lasts until 2027. The Stranger did not respond to an emailed question about how the redevelopment plans could impact its future in the building. A representative from Tourbineau declined to comment on redevelopment or tenancy plans.
The RDA building was built in 1926, and from the 1940s through the 1980s was home to Crescent Foods, which manufactured and processed food products. It became an office building after it was sold in the 1990s. The basement is used as a wine storage facility.
