By Lexi MooreHills residents and cousins Ross Metzger and Kelly Leuthold said they feel they’ve answered a community need by building the Hills Storage Center at the corner of Water Avenue and Third Street in Hills.Construction on the 6,500-square-foot building began in August when dirt work was started. Work on the site continued through October and November and is expected to finish in December.Metzger and Leuthold purchased the 144-by-158 lot from New Vision Coop in the spring of 2005. Originally, they had intended to build a shop and storage facility to house vehicles from their trucking companies.Not long after the purchase was complete, the partners began getting suggestions on how to use the lot. They changed their plans and decided to begin designs on a public storage space."We wanted to find the best way to utilize this bare lot while still providing a service to our community," Leuthold said when asked why they changed their plans.The building will have 20 12-by-25 spaces and five 10-by-10 storage spaces for rent. Renters can sign either short or long-term agreements.Metzger assures there won’t be limitations on the type of items stored in the building."We don’t have any limits on what can be stored. If it fits in the space, you can store it at the Hills Storage Center."Renters will be responsible for providing their own locks but the lot will be secured. Owners intend to install security lights on the property, which will be available to renters 24 hours a day.Leuthold’s wife, Tammie, will be responsible for handling customers’ reservations. Kelly said several parties have already contacted Tammie about reserving a space."People can call Tammie or Ross anytime to reserve a space, but we recommend doing so soon, because spaces are limited and will be reserved on a first come basis."The building takes up about half of the property the partners purchased, leaving them open for possible expansions in the future."We don’t know yet what we are going to do with the rest of the space," Metzger said. "We can always expand if the need is there."The Hills Storage Center building will be open for tours when the owners host an open house in the near future. They encourage interested parties to contact Tammie at 962-3111 or Ross at 962-3107 for pricing and information on the facility.