{"podcast":{"title":"Stories Behind the Door","slug":"stories-behind-the-door-7023511","podcast_index_feed_id":7023511,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/546122/rss","website_url":"https://safestorageusa.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/c/9/4/c/c94cdef6fd52dc2ad959afa2a1bf1c87/Stories_Behind_the_Door_Vertical_Thumbnails.jpg","author":"Thaddeus Campbell","episode_count":52,"summary":"Self-storage isn't just square footage — it's a booming industry powered by smart operators, bold investors, sharp brokers, and everyday people making things happen. Hosted by Thaddeus Campbell, Stories Behind the Door pulls back the curtain on the real players behind the deals, developments, and day-to-day grind. Every week, we sit down with the people who are shaping the future of storage and flex space — one story at a time. If you're in the business or thinking about getting in, this is your front-row seat.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-11T02:17:03.128526+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-behind-the-door-7023511"},"episode":{"title":"James Coakley: 30 Years in NYC Self-Storage, Safeguarding Its Next Generation","slug":"james-coakley-30-years-in-nyc-self-storage-safeguarding-its-next-generation","published_at":"2026-05-13T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-behind-the-door-7023511/james-coakley-30-years-in-nyc-self-storage-safeguarding-its-next-generation","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-behind-the-door-7023511","url":"https://c1fb7a5a-b918-4752-8e66-99cccd34cccf.libsyn.com/james-coakley-30-years-in-nyc-self-storage-safeguarding-its-next-generation","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/c1fb7a5a-b918-4752-8e66-99cccd34cccf/Podcast-Audio-James-Coakley.mp3?dest-id=4709347","summary":"NYC self-storage is in the middle of the toughest regulatory fight in its history. Most operators outside New York have no idea what's coming or how fast it could spread to their market. James Coakley, President of Cayre Equities (Treasure Island Storage) and immediate past president of the New York Self Storage Association, joins Thaddeus to unpack what's actually happening on the ground: the loss of the ICAP tax abatement that made NYC development pencil, the 35% assessment hike on storage buildings landing in 2026, the new DCWP registration law and the rulemaking fight underway right now, Intro 495's proposed 2% rate cap, and the agency lawsuit against a major REIT. James has spent over two decades in NYC self-storage — starting at Manhattan Mini Storage, moving through United Stor-All, and leading Cayre Equities since 2009. In this conversation he shares how a family-office operator approaches development when merchant deals no longer underwrite, why Treasure Island stayed in NYC while everyone else chased the Sunbelt, and what every operator in every state should be doing right now to build relationships with local policymakers before regulation finds them. If you operate, develop, or invest in self-storage anywhere in the country, this episode is a preview of what's coming. Maryland is already testing per-facility taxes. Other states are watching. (02:00) How James got into self-storage (04:00) Joining Care Equities in 2009 (06:00) Operating with family-office backing (07:45) Why Treasure Island stayed in NYC (09:30) How NYC development has changed since 2009 (12:00) The ICAP tax abatement — and why losing it killed most new deals (14:30) The 35% assessment hike on E7 storage buildings (17:30) Why valet storage never replaced self-storage in NYC (18:45) The new N…","meta_description":"NYC self-storage is in the middle of the toughest regulatory fight in its history. Most operators outside New York have no idea what's coming or how fast…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1947,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/stories-behind-the-door-7023511/episodes/james-coakley-30-years-in-nyc-self-storage-safeguarding-its-next-generation/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-behind-the-door-7023511/james-coakley-30-years-in-nyc-self-storage-safeguarding-its-next-generation.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}