Giant U-Haul facility planned for former Levitz Furniture building in Oxnard
U-Haul is transforming the old Levitz Furniture building in Oxnard into a three-story storage and rental facility.
The Oxnard City Council approved a special use permit earlier this month, allowing the project to move forward in a zone that is designated for retail, office space and residential uses.
The permit narrowly passed in a 4-3 vote. Council members in favor welcomed the beautification of a long derelict area in north Oxnard. Those opposed — Bert Perello, Oscar Madrigal and Arthur Valenzuela Zavala — wanted the site to be used the way it is zoned.
U-Haul will renovate the 153,000-square-foot building on North Oxnard Boulevard into a three-story, self-storage facility with a single-story warehouse. It'll also house large, portable storage containers.
The company, with operations headquartered in Phoenix, will build a wall and plant trees to prevent passersby from seeing the rental trucks. Oxnard has higher aesthetic standards for the area as it is a gateway to the city for motorists exiting Highway 101.
As part of the agreement, U-Haul will add traffic signals at the intersection of North Oxnard Boulevard and Orchard Place.
Levitz vacated the building in 2005. The property — located near the Esplanade shopping center — eventually fell into disrepair.
U-Haul purchased the property in 2016 and now operates a small retail shop on site. But the building remains mostly empty.
Known for renting box trucks and selling moving supplies, the company first requested the special use permit to transform the 8.86-acre site in April 2023. But U-Haul withdrew the application because city staff recommend the council deny the project.
Since then, the company addressed some of the city’s concerns. It will improve landscaping and remove a recreational vehicle storage area, for example.
Only three residents spoke about the facility at the March 4 council meeting.
Two welcomed the project and its improvements, while Barbara Macri-Ortiz wanted the site to be used for housing.
“Nobody is doing a service to us by putting more places to put your stuff when you get evicted,” she said.
Council member Perello opposed the special use permit, calling it an “unfair advantage.” Other businesses in the area have complied with the designated general commercial zoning, he said, but U-Haul needed the permit to rent trucks and storage units.
The special use allowance would carry over to any future owners of the property. To prevent large vehicles and equipment from being stored on site, the City Council capped the size of trucks that can be housed there.
Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: U-Haul facility to reshape old Levitz Furniture building in Oxnard
