Our Tall Building – humble beginnings to a “BRIGHT” future

We undertook a big task when we bought the derelict Grainstore site in Blandford Forum in 2017. Over the last five years the Grainstore has had two inner ‘streets’ worth of new units built, complete building overhauls, repairs and we were left with just one rather large eyesore of a structure. We call this structure the Tall Building.

We’ve always had big plans for the Tall Building but it did take a long time to get Building Control and the Fire Regulations to approve the layout. We needed to work on the first floor steel design and of course as usual we were up against the weather. We wanted to ensure that we maximized the use of space and so, as the building has a huge amount of height, we decided to create industrial workshop units on the ground floor and a new self-storage area on a brand new first floor, complete with a loading bay and goods lift.

George Estates has five sites and on our other sites we have always focused our storage offerings with shipping containers and individual garage style lockups. We’ve been following current market trends over recent years and indoor self-storage is something that many people love to use on a regular basis.

In January of this year our indoor self-storage facility was completed and opened! The layout of the first floor is made up of different sized spaces, catering for a small document storage area to a full 5 bedroom house storage unit. With this level of flexibility we’re able to help more locals find exactly the space they need.

The fit out included all of the partition separations, customer stairs and a fully functioning goods lift. Alarms and CCTV cameras have all been put in place, with a timed roller shutter door.

July 2024 and the building looks nothing like its former self. It’s colourful, repurposed and already bustling with activity. Beneath the first floor storage it houses a Crossfit Studio, a successful laundry business and a local doughnut baker.

Above and below you can see the Tall Building’s humble beginnings – to its bright future!

Whether you need space for personal items or your business requires additional storage, we have the right solution for you. You can get in touch via email info@blandfordgrainstore.co.uk or call us on 01258 470550 – we look forward to hearing from you.