Post Falls-based Steel Structures America Inc. has obtained permits to build two separate storage facilities in Spokane Valley with construction values totaling about $3.8 million.

The $1.3 million, initial phase of the Railway Storage project, to be located at the northwest corner of Trent Avenue and Sullivan Road, will have five ministorage buildings and office space totaling 22,000 square feet.

A second, $2.5 million yet-to-be-named facility, which will have 28,000 square feet of storage space, is being constructed about a block away from the southeast corner of Pines Road and Sprague Avenue.

Steel Structures America is the general contractor on the unnamed storage project, and a subcontractor on the Railway Storage project.

Railway Storage LLC is listed as a co-owner of the 4.34-acre project site at 15205 E. Trent. The company has shared ownership with Kodiak General Contracting LLC, of Spokane Valley, which is also the contractor for the project.

Conrad Manfred, owner of Kodiak, says the project will consist of two phases, the first 155 units will be available around May, while construction on the planned 200-unit, 30,000-square-foot second phase, probably won’t start until 2020.

The second phase will add another $800,000 to the Railway Storage project cost, says Manfred.

He says the facility will be used for general personal storage, and the public will be able to rent units ranging in size from 25 square feet to 200 square feet, which can be combined to make larger units.

Rates are yet to be determined, says Manfred, and it’s still being discussed as to whom will manage the facility.

Before work could begin, Manfred says Kodiak had to demolish an existing structure at the site and remove a railcar from the property.

“There was an old restaurant that was attached to a train car, so we had to tear down the restaurant and then someone actually purchased the train car from us,” Manfred says.

Plans posted on Kodiak’s website show the company had originally intended to use the train car as office space for the facility, but the idea was abandoned, and the purchaser of the train car removed it from the property, he says.

The unnamed facility will have five dry-storage buildings with a total of 170 storage units and a 624-square-foot office building at 101 S. Houk Road, says Justin Sternberg, co-owner of Steel Structures America, which also designed the project.

Construction began earlier this month and is expected to be completed around May, Sternberg says.

Storage units will range in size from 50 to 200 square feet, with full fencing, an electric gate, a full security system, and paved drive aisles, he says.

The permit information lists Terry Raugust as the project owner.

Steel Structures America Inc. operates in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, and Colorado and specializes in residential post-frame, ministorage, and small commercial construction projects.