Mini Mall Storage Expands with Metro Self Storage Acquisition

Canada's Mini Mall Storage Properties Trust, part of Avenue Living Asset Management, has acquired an 11-property portfolio from the U.S.-based Metro Self Storage, underscoring the company’s rapid expansion strategy south of the border.

The deal includes facilities in Georgia and Illinois, among them locations in Douglasville, Lawrenceville, Palatine, and Melrose Park, according to CoStar. Property addresses listed in the transaction filings include:

• 7454 Douglas Blvd, Douglasville, GA
• 1855 Azalea Dr, Lawrenceville, GA
• 2220 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lawrenceville, GA
• 520 Colfax St, Palatine, IL
• 60 Lake St, Melrose Park, IL

Though financial details were not disclosed, the acquisition fits Mini Mall’s playbook: targeting legacy-operated, drive-up storage facilities with strong cash flow potential and modernizing them through centralized operations and technology investments.

A growing U.S. portfolio

Mini Mall, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, has spent the past several years building its storage platform across North America. At the end of 2024, the company oversaw more than 230 properties and 9 million square feet of rentable space.

The trust focuses on acquiring assets with operational upside rather than trophy properties, often rebranding them under the Mini Mall name and introducing systems designed to boost revenue and occupancy. This has made it a recurring presence in mid-market portfolio transactions, particularly in secondary and tertiary U.S. metros.

Metro exits, Avenue advances

For Metro Self Storage, the sale reflects a strategic portfolio refinement, pulling back from select markets even as national investor interest in storage remains strong. For Mini Mall, it’s another step in its broader strategy to stitch together a national U.S. platform — one deal at a time.

This transaction follows other major Mini Mall acquisitions over the past 18 months, including a seven-property Atlanta and Nashville portfolio from Childress Klein and an eight-property package from Gelt Venture Partners in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Institutional Buyers Embracing Self Storage

Self-storage continues to attract institutional buyers despite higher financing costs and tighter capital markets. Its reputation for steady cash flow, minimal operational complexity and strong demand during economic cycles has made it one of the more resilient CRE sectors.

Mini Mall’s expansion also reflects a larger trend: Canadian investors looking beyond their borders for scale and yield. With this acquisition, Avenue Living has strengthened its foothold in the U.S. Southeast and Midwest — two regions that have consistently delivered stable storage demand.

Further details on pricing and financing terms were not immediately available.