The new facility includes 480 units, ranging in size from five feet by five feet to 10 feet by 40 feet, with alarmed units, electronic gates and surveillance cameras throughout the grounds. Each unit features roll up doors, and the two-story facility provides a ramp allowing customers to drive directly to the second-level units.

The new development brings the total number of units in Empires self-storage portfolio to nearly 3,200, comprising more than 320,000 sf. The company has two self-storage facilities that are in the early stages of construction in Hesperia and Lake Elsinore, with both of those scheduled to open early in 2004. By the end of fiscal year 2004, the company expects to have a self-storage portfolio valued at more than $27 million.

Empire Commercial Real Estate is a unit of the Empire Cos., which oversees acquisition, development and management of commercial properties. Its portfolio includes more than 2 million sf of self-storage, office properties, neighborhood retail centers and multifamily project.