'Chandler site sold for $2.7M to 'Toy Barn' firm – SanTan Sun News … – San Tan Sun News

SanTan Sun News Staff
A Scottsdale developer of luxury storage units for pricey vehicles, small planes and other big toys has bought two large lots in the Chandler Industrial Business Park for $2.75 million.
Wesley Development Company paid $13.37 a square foot for approximately 4.7 acres on the southwest corner of Germann and Gilbert roads, according to Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com.
The land, zoned Industrial, is home to the buyer’s Toy Barn Chandler Luxury Garage Ownership facility in an area that’s adjacent to Chandler Airport that is scheduled to open next year, according to the company’s website.
A marketing brochure for the property showed six lots ranging in size from 35,381 square feet to 98,160 square feet with the potential for buildings ranging in height between 28 feet and 30 feet.
Toy Barn Luxury Garage Ownership doesn’t just offer storage for cars, boats, RVs, racecars, motorcycles and off-road vehicles.
It’s a community for vehicle enthusiasts, Jason Wesley said in an interview last year with a sister paper of the San Tan Sun News.
Units come with amenities such as prewired internet and TV access, plumbing, insulated walls and ceilings, RV outlets, electric garage doors, community restrooms and access to clubhouses.
The father-and-son team behind Toy Barn, Paul and Jason Wesley, have expanded its business since opening its first location in 2010 at Cave Creek and Peak View roads. Originally from Ohio, the two were residential land subdividers before they became involved in the luxury garage business in 2008.
Jason said there were luxury garages in the East Valley when they started their business, but nothing in North Scottsdale.
“We were really trying to accommodate people who lived in the North Scottsdale communities who didn’t have any additional storage options. It’s real-estate ownership, so it’s an investment versus just paying rent on a storage facility,” he said.
“A lot of them have been around 10 years. They have double-lot equity. They get the tax benefits that come with real-estate ownership.”
Because businesses like this were few, they had to figure it out on their own. “It’s extremely niche,” Jason said. “There was no roadmap for getting into the garage/condominium business when we did.”
Their time in the luxury garage business has been a learning process. They have continued to adapt, especially with delays in new constructions during the pandemic.
“We have learned quite a bit about the construction process, the challenges associated with it, how to manage those challenges, managing schedules and people’s expectations, what works and doesn’t work,” Jason said. “We try to incorporate the lessons learned from every community into the new one.”
The two men have their own “toys” that they enjoy in their spare time. Paul owns vintage Indian motorcycles, and Jason is an aviation enthusiast with a Cirrus plane.
Jason said he’s also interested in Porsches, and his father enjoys ’60s-era Corvettes.
One of the biggest perks of owning a luxury garage business is occasionally clients allow the team to try out vehicles.
“It’s always nice when they say, ‘Just take the Porsche for the day,’” Jason said.
Jason and Paul have five locations, including the Chandler Airport site.
Jason said there has been little turnover in units, and some owners have spaces in different facilities.
He said building a garage can be expensive, and many communities have CC&R regulations prohibiting additions.
The Toy Barns offer a luxury garage experience for those who are downsizing or needing space for their vehicles, family heirlooms or automobilia such as neon signs or vintage gas pumps. They are gated with 24-hour access.
Adjacent clubhouses come with amenities such as high-end finishes, plush seating, flat-screen TVs, full kitchens and bathrooms.
Jason said he and his father wanted to create not just storage facilities but close-knit communities.
“I think what separates us from a regular storage facility or an industrial park is the fact that we are trying to cultivate a community of like-minded individuals. The facility functions more like a private club than it does a warehouse,” Jason said.
Unit owners can customize the units with touches such as Epoxy flooring and half baths. They are expected to adhere to CC&R guidelines, such as not operating businesses out of their units. Many of the unit owners spend time at the facilities, working on their own vehicles or getting time to themselves.
“Some of the retired guys who don’t golf, that’s where they spend all their time. That’s what they do. They tinker in the garage,” Jason said.

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