For many years, 11th Street Auto Repair, located at the northwest corner of 11th & Christian, was our go-to shop for our car-related needs. Whether it was inspections, an oil change, a flat tire, or a check engine light, this spot was reliable, honest, and generally affordable. We recommended 11th Street Auto Repair to friends and family, always with the warning that they would need to book an appointment in advance, given the shop’s popularity. Their always-full parking lot clearly demonstrated this to anyone passing by this busy corner.
This business had the blessing and curse of sitting at a desirable location in a booming neighborhood proximate to Center City. While this surely increased awareness of the business, it also must have resulted in countless calls from developers, asking about future plans for the business and making many offers for the property. And this makes sense, especially because the nearly 9,000 sqft footprint would allow for all kinds of interesting redevelopment plans.
In 2022, developers put the property under agreement. The CMX-2 zoning at the property would have allowed a small apartment building with retail on the first floor, but the property also laid out nicely for a townhome development. Indeed, developers took the property to the ZBA and got a variance for a ten-home development, with 5 homes fronting Christian Street, 5 homes fronting Webster Street, and a drive-aisle in the middle. 11th Street Auto Repair closed the next year, forcing us and who knows how many others to find a new auto garage to support. We’ve taken our business to Don’s Auto Repair on Passyunk & Ellsworth, for what it’s worth.
The new project at this site broke ground earlier this year and has already progressed well, with framing work ongoing for the 5 southern homes. The project is called 10 on Eleventh because, uh, it’s 10 homes on 11th Street. Though we don’t expect the first home to be finished before next year, the project is already listed for sale, with price points ranging from $1.65M to $1.75M. Given the likelihood of falling interest rates in the coming months, the first phase of this project could be poised to come to market at exactly the right time.
We’re obviously bummed that our favorite auto repair place is gone, but we can’t begrudge the owners for choosing retirement and a golden parachute. We’re pleased with the new turn for this property, and can certainly appreciate the upgrade to a higher and better use at this location. These will be some of the most expensive homes to trade in the Hawthorne neighborhood and show just how much demand exists for new homes in this part of town.
Speaking of demand for new homes around here, let’s take a look across the street at what used to be a gas station at the southwest corner of this intersection. Incidentally, we first wondered about this property back in 2011. This property, which covers about 2,000 sqft, could accommodate two homes (with a variance) and could be yours for the low, low price of $1.2M. The property has been on the market for about two years at this point, which tells us that either a price reduction or a much friendlier interest rate environment will be needed before this property transacts. As we said above, the latter could be on the horizon, so it’s not out of the question we see something happen here as soon as next year. Extended continued vacancy is, of course, also on the table.