Adaptive Reuse at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Galesburg

In 1899, Sebastian Spering Kresge invested in his own five and ten cent store where the people of downtown Detroit could go for reasonably priced everyday items. The modest prices were an instant hit with consumers and soon Mr. Kresge had expanded the concept to 85 stores. Even through an era of economic depression, the Kresge stores were able to keep their doors open, selling affordable goods and offering steady jobs. Times evolved and the price of goods inflated, but the S.S. Kresge Company continued to strive to find new models of retail that would continue to provide affordability. In 1920, Mr. Kresge designed a popular one dollar and under store with a green front that would be placed next to the traditional five and ten Kresge stores.

In 1959, the leadership torch was passed to Harry B. Cunningham and he became the president of the company. Under Cunningham's leadership, a new strategy was imagined, that included the modern Kmart discount department store. The first Kmart department store was opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. Within a year, seventeen additional Kmart department stores were also opened around the country. There were also 753 successful Kresge stores still open at the time. In 1976, the company opened an unprecedented 271 Kmart department stores all in one year! Within a year, it was clear the majority of the sales revenue was coming from Kmart branded stores, which resulted in the S.S. Kresge Company officially changing their name to the Kmart Corporation. In 1987, the corporation sold off all of the remaining Kresge branded stores and focused primarily on the bix-box store discount merchandising.

The Big Kmart branded stores arrived in 1996 and boasted a tidy, bright and easy to shop layout as part of the redesign. Big Kmarts also hosted a pantry near the front of the store and accentuated the children's and home fashion departments. In 1990, the new K-Mart logo was unveiled and in 1991 the first Kmart Supercenter was established with fresh produce offerings and a 24 hour shopping experience. In 1999, Kmart also expanded into the e-commerce arena by introducing BlueLight.com which later transformed into the modern Kmart.com.

Unfortunately, on January 22nd, 2002 the Kmart Corporation and 37 of it's subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Thankfully, a restructuring and reorganization under President Julian C. Day has allowed the company to continue to sustain operations at several stores across the country.

The Galesburg Kmart building was built in 1978 and U-Haul acquired the building in 2019. La réutilisation adaptative des bâtiments permet à U-Haul de promouvoir l'aménagement intercalaire pour répondre aux besoins des citoyens tout en préservant les ressources naturelles et les terrains normalement nécessaires à une construction neuve. La réutilisation adaptative permet également de concentrer les ressources sur l'intégration d'éléments respectueux de l'environnement dans le bâtiment existant plutôt que de créer des déchets par la démolition et d'utiliser des ressources précieuses pour de nouvelles constructions.

Au service des clients depuis 2019, cet emplacement a été construit par réutilisation adaptative d'un bâtiment abandonné. Adaptive reuse promotes infill development in an effort to strengthen communities, with the following benefits achieved at this site: 

• la fabrication et le transport de 131 tonnes de métal 
• le coulage de 5 898 tonnes de nouveau béton 
• 6 041 tonnes de débris de construction et de démolition 

Energy-efficiency and waste-reduction programs at this facility provide the following estimated benefits each year for the Galesburg community: 

• 2 909 780 lbs greenhouse gas emissions prevented 

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  Production de l'acier La fabrication et le transport de 131 tonnes (119 tonnes métriques) d'acier ont été évités à ce jour

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  Energie Des économies de 0 kWh par année

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  Béton Coulage de 5 898 tonnes (5 352 tonnes) de nouveau béton évité à ce jour.

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  Émissions 2 909 780 lb (1 319 868 kgs) d'émissions de gaz à effet de serre ont été évitées

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  Débris pour les sites d'enfouissement 6 041 lb (5 482 kg) de débris de construction ont été évitées

• U-Haul Moving & Storage of Galesburg