Press & News

A new athletic complex is coming to Ladera Ranch, California — right next door to a massive storage facility. Michael Schwartz, owner of Smart Stop Self Storage and Strategic Storage Trust, Inc., has received municipal approval to build a $32.6 million athletic center on a plot of land adjacent to his 100,000-square-foot storage facility.
The complex will include a 56,000-square-foot gymnasium with eight basketball and volleyball courts. It will also expand Smart Stop’s operations, with 41,400 square feet of the new building dedicated to storage and 21,000 square feet set aside for Smart Shop’s office headquarters. Built-in features will include cameras on all courts, so that parents or sports scouts can log in remotely to watch games or practices. In addition, plans for the facility include the installation of rooftop solar panels and an architectural design that will stand out in the community.
Schwartz told the Orange County Register that the project fits in with the company’s vision for serving the community. “It’s not a small endeavor, but we really believe in the community,” he said. “The mixed-use financially makes sense. We can build the nicest indoor gymnasium in the U.S., and we need to expand storage space and offices for our growing operations.”
Eric Willin, COO, of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York, called the move an intriguing experiment. “Community-minded entrepreneurs look for ways to grow their businesses while also serving their localities. There is almost no community in the United States that would not benefit from having an easily accessible athletic center available for use. Situating such a center within an already established business stands to benefit all parties involved.”
Schwartz commented that anyone will be able to rent the athletic center, including the players and club teams of local basketball and volleyball leagues, as well as high school teams.