A North County real estate broker and businessman has opened State Road Car Wash & Self Storage at 213 State Road, prompted by his belief that the new business not only brings diversity to his operations, but that the storage units dovetail with real estate brokerage and management.
Michael John Zeppieri, who owns RCI Real Estate with offices in North Adams and Williamstown, said the $850,000 cost of the all-new construction was financed by Hoosac Bank. The two-acre parcel is reached by a driveway between Friendly’s and Monro Muffler. The sign went up last week. The land is leased from city property developer David Carver. The new business is a separate division of RCI.
“The real estate business is cyclical, and there’s definitely a need for self storage,†said Zeppieri.
The 86-unit self-storage business, he said, allows RCI to offer “an overall package.â€
While, of course, anyone can rent a unit, purchasers or sellers of houses through RCI may find their need for temporary storage easily accommodated.
“It’s a good tie-in,†said Zeppieri. “I’m trying to be more than just a local realtor.â€
“We do mainly real estate, but I thought the company could grow in other ways. I wanted to offer things that nobody else would.â€
“If someone is looking to sell their house we can store their furniture while they’re renovating it to put on the market,†he said, offering an example. Similarly, if a buyer has to wait to move into a new house, that furniture can also be conveniently stored, Zeppieri said.
Customers who sign a year’s lease get one month free. Units ranging in size from 5 feet by 10 feet to 10 feet by 20 feet rent for between $45 and $95 a month. Some units are large enough to store automobiles. After being open three months, half the units are rented, he said.
Zeppieri is launching his new venture just as he prepares to turn 30, next week.
This is his 13th year in the real estate business. He was the youngest realtor in Massachusetts at age 18. He continues the firm founded by his father, the late John Zeppieri. After college at Florida Atlantic College in Boca Raton, Fla., he returned to the area, and is happy to see its resurgence.
Zeppieri said he built the car wash, spending about $325,000 on the latest and most advanced equipment, because the city may lose one of its car washes, Bestway on River Street, if plans for a park at the site materialize.
The car wash has five self-service bays with floors heated to 38 degrees to prevent ice from forming. Zeppieri said a spot-free rinse operates through “reverse osmosis.†Self-service washes cost $2.50. Five vacuums, costing $1.25, include various options. Two can perform carpet shampoos, and another has a fragrance machine. The sixth bay is fully automatic, allowing customers to stay in their cars throughout the operation and to pay by credit or debit card. That automated car wash ranges in price from $5 to $10, with the higher price including wax, heated drying, and undercarriage cleaning. The new businesses employ one worker. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., said Zeppieri. Telephone is 663-8631.
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Berkshire Food Project Closed for Power Issues
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshire Food Project is closed Monday because of a power outage early in the morning.
"We are unable to get proper electricity and heat to the building," according to Executive Director Matthew Alcombright. "We hope that this can be resolved and be open tomorrow."
The project does have some sandwiches and frozen meals that will be distributed at the entry.
The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. click for more
The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation. click for more
