Former Johnson’s Garden Centers property razed for storage, warehouse and office units

Three years after buying the former Johnson’s Garden Centers site at 802 N. Ridge Road, Dennis and Danielle Sanders are preparing to build a variety of storage units on it.

The west-siders have razed the property, which used to have a house, a garden center and greenhouses.

The two previously had moved their Car-Smart car lot from 4400 S. Broadway to the Ridge Road site but recently closed the business.

“We had a car dealership there, but the long-term plan was always to do storage,” Dennis Sanders says.

He says he’s keeping his dealer’s license but mainly to buy and sell his personal vehicles.

Now, Sanders and his wife plan to build Wichita Self Storage on the approximately 3 acres they’ve razed.

There will be more than 300 units.

In addition to more traditional storage units, there will be commercial condos there as well, which Sanders says will be ideal for business people who want to store products or service vehicles.

“They’re very usable spaces,” he says. “Big commercial spaces.”

There also will be office spaces with parking.

The offices and some of the storage spaces are climate controlled.

Sanders says the average storage units will be 1,500 square feet, but he says they’ll be able to accommodate a variety of sizes with flexible spaces.

“That’s kind of the concept behind it.”

Construction is starting now. Just like your average baby, the new units should be ready in about nine months.

This story was originally published August 6, 2018 at 10:59 AM.