After nearly 16 years of vacancy and several failed attempts at occupation, the former Montgomery Ward department store building in Lower Burrell may soon have a new owner and corporate tenant.

The city's planning commission Wednesday gave unanimous approval to a proposal that would see a U-Haul retail store and storage facility installed in part of the Burrell Plaza near the intersection of Leechburg and Wildlife Lodge roads. The site could eventually become a U-Haul “hub” and the center of the company's regional operations, a U-Haul official said.

“We are very excited to have a state-of-the-art U-Haul facility in Lower Burrell,” said Ean Livingood, marketing company president with U-Haul Co. of Northwestern Pennsylvania. “We have plans to begin construction as soon as we own the property and will open our doors in mid-July.

“The existing building has been sitting vacant for many years and has become an eyesore. U-Haul is thrilled to step in and revitalize the area. This U-Haul facility will have a positive impact on the Lower Burrell community.”

The property, owned by Widewaters Lower Burrell Co., of Syracuse, N.Y., would be subdivided into three lots, according to city officials. The former Wards building and its lot would be sold to U-Haul. The two others would be the J.C. Penney building and a third lot occupied by First National Bank. That lot would be maintained as Widewaters' property.

The plan hinges on U-Haul's ability to clear the hurdles of the city's zoning hearing board next month.

The lot is a single unit zoned as a commercial property. U-Haul's proposal to use part of the building as a warehouse facility does not fall under that zoning category except as a special exception that must be granted by the zoning hearing board.

Mike Nedley, code enforcement officer, said an exception can be made to allow warehousing in a commercial district. Such an exception is specifically included in the city's ordinances, he said.

Planning commission Chairman Ray Rieser doesn't think it will be an issue either, because similar proposals for the building were granted exceptions in the past, though no tenant actually carried through with their plans.

Rieser hopes that this time the story will be different, which he said is exactly why the board was happy to approve the proposal.

“We thought it was a good idea to have the property occupied. It has been unoccupied for 16 years, and they are a Fortune 500 company, so they have the capital to do it right,” he said.

According to information provided to the planning board, the building would include a 3,000-square-foot retail and showroom area, 15,000-square-foot general warehouse, and almost 70,000 square feet of climate-controlled self-storage units.

Construction plans do not include demolition of the old building, but the roof, exterior facade and parking lot are slated to be replaced.

Mayor Richard Callender said the development represents years of effort on the part of the city council and prior administrations.

“Everyone came together and worked really hard on this. It's a good thing for everyone in Lower Burrell,” he said.

Callender said the site would be home to more than just a truck rental and storage facility, relating that the company had expressed hope that it would eventually serve as a U-Haul hub.

“It's a perfect use for this building, and there is a need in the area for the service they will provide,” he said.

U-Haul has already sought out a list of local contractors that they plan to use for the construction phases, according to Callender. The business, once completed, should employee between 10 and 20 people full-time.

Callender said the sale of the Wards building has made sale of the adjoining property more feasible.

“I've already reached out to some developers who thought the whole building was just too big. With half of it sold, the Penney's side is much more attractive to buyers,” he said.

Widewaters bought the Burrell Plaza property in 2005 for $5 million.

The Montgomery Ward building has been vacant since 2001 when the company went out of business. The adjoining building has been empty since 2005 when J.C. Penney moved operations to the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, less than a year after Widewaters bought the plaza.

Former Mayor Don Kinosz had been working to develop the 28-acre property since J.C. Penney left the large building vacant.

Matthew Medsger is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4675, mmedsger@tribweb.com, or on Twitter @matthew_medsger.

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