Graffiti-covered Northside car wash to get cleaned up as modern-design offices

The building was formerly a Car Pool car wash, but closed in recent years. (Mike Platania photo)

A shuttered, graffiti-covered Northside car wash may soon have some new shine and a new use. 

The former Car Pool Express at 2900 Chamberlayne Ave. is planned to be renovated into medical office space. 

Leading the project is Malcolm Thomas, who by day is president and CEO of Ty’s Hauling and Paving, Inc., a Southside-based truck repair and paving company that he founded in the 1990s. 

Thomas said he got into real estate about 15 years ago, mostly buying and leasing out office space in the region. In 2023, Thomas bought a building across the street at 2712 Chamberlayne Ave. and leased it to Golden Steps ABA, a therapy provider for children on the autism spectrum. Last year he said he was approached by the then-owners of 2900 Chamberlayne Ave. 

“With investment, I just do it when I have the opportunity to,” Thomas said. “The owners asked if I was interested in buying it. We agreed and worked out a deal.”

Last July Thomas bought the building and its 0.4-acre parcel for $775,000, city property records show. He’s looking to keep the existing 1960s-era car wash building and build an addition onto it for a total of 4,200 square feet. 

A rendering of the planned development. (Courtesy Divaris)

Thomas said the space, which would be able to be split between two, roughly 2,000-square-foot suites, would be suited for a user similar to Golden Steps. 

“I didn’t want to go in and do any more of the vape shops. I want to, more or less, bring up the area,” he said. “I figured that we don’t have that many medical places there until we get across I-95. (Golden Steps) is working out well and I just figured that we probably could do another one (like that) in the same area.”

510 Architects is the project architect. Divaris Real Estate’s Read Goode and Chris Messersmith are marketing the development.

Thomas said he hasn’t selected a general contractor, and that he’s waiting to ink a deal with a tenant before gutting the old car wash and starting construction. 

“We are looking and hoping that someone comes through and wants to be there,” Thomas said. “As soon as that happens, we’ll get to working on it.”

More construction may also be in the works a few blocks to the south near Chamberlayne’s intersection with Lombardy. 

Nearly two years ago, a mystery developer filed plans for a pair of five-story buildings that would replace the former Animal Hospital at 2412 N. Lombardy St. Down the block from that is 2500 N. Lombardy St. a nearly 2-acre site a developer is marketing for sale as a development opportunity. 

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