Aug 1, 2016, 1:21pm EDT

Patty Tascarella, Senior Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times

Shadyside-based Guardian Storage LLC has raised $2.2 million from investors toward expansion as it prepares to open three new facilities in the Pittsburgh area during the first half of 2017.

This will boost Guardian’s local presence by 25 percent to 15 sites and increase its total sites to 19, growing by a third in less than a year. It plans to add 10 employees locally. Guardian presently employs 50.

Rendering of Guardian Storage’s new facility in Robinson Township. Opening is expected in June 2017.

COURTESY OF DESMONE ARCHITECTS.

The capital raised is for Guardian’s recent purchase of A-1 Storage’s property in Robinson Township.

Guardian plans to build a three-story 75,000-square-foot building and a two-story, 43,640-square-foot building at an anticipated cost of $11 million. Bridges Construction is handling the construction and the architect is Desmone Architects.

“We’ll be relocating tenants through mid-August and demolition and construction will start in the fall,” said Candice Puzak, Guardian’s marketing manager. “We anticipate opening in June 2017.”

Properties in Monroeville and Hampton are expected to open early next year, she said. The cost for the three local projects tops $30 million.

Additionally, Guardian is opening two new facilities in Denver in the next few weeks. That will bring its number of Colorado locations to four.

Founded in 1987, the Guardian’s properties include indoor and outdoor units for the storage of personal and business belongings. Some properties include spaces for vehicles or vessels.

Patty Tascarella covers accounting, banking, finance, legal, marketing and advertising and foundations. Contact her at ptascarella@bizjournals.com or 412-208-3832. .