The long-empty corner where the Los Olivos hand car wash once stood is finally getting a new life. Developer Helix Properties is lining up a compact, street-facing retail and restaurant project called The Corner at Midtown, with patios, small-format boutiques and restaurant end caps meant to play nicely with Midtown’s arts-and-culture vibe. Marketing materials point to a late 2027 opening for the site.
What’s Planned
According to a leasing brochure from Showcase, the project is drawn up as a roughly 15,000-square-foot freestanding retail center. The plan shows restaurant end caps in the 3,500 to 6,000 square foot range, plus several smaller shop spaces.
The conceptual site plan breaks the project into two low buildings with an outdoor breezeway in between. Patio seating would face that central space, giving tenants a shot at outdoor dining and people-watching instead of a sea of parking. The brochure also touts a 2024 McDowell Road traffic count of about 35,383 cars per day and leans hard into walkable, street-facing tenants rather than a more suburban strip-center feel.
Developer Details And Street Changes
Jeff Harris, listed as vice president for leasing on Helix, is leading the charge on leasing for the project. In an interview with Axios, Harris said the developer plans to widen Third Street alongside the complex to improve pedestrian access. He also expects roughly 6,000 square feet of the project to be occupied by restaurants.
Helix is pitching the space to higher-end retail and service tenants. The marketing materials even float a med spa as one of the target prospects, signaling that the team is thinking beyond basic grab-and-go retail.
Why Apartments Were Dropped
The site has not always been destined for shops and patios. Previous pitches circled around housing, and Crexi listings note the parcel could support roughly 150 residential units. The current plan, though, puts that idea on the shelf.
In the latest round of marketing, the focus is squarely on retail and restaurants. That shows up in the brochure and the conceptual layout, which favor street-level dining and small shops over a mixed-use tower concept.
Neighborhood Fit And History
The corner has been a Midtown landmark for decades. FOX 10 reported that Los Olivos closed at the end of 2017 after operating on the corner since the 1950s, leaving behind a prominent but inactive lot.
Local coverage and neighborhood write-ups, including the Phoenix New Times, have long tagged the parcel as a prime infill opportunity. The new plan leans into that potential, dropping food and retail within striking distance of cultural heavyweights like the Phoenix Art Museum and the Roosevelt Row area.
What’s Next
Helix is actively marketing spaces now and expects The Corner at Midtown to open in late 2027 as the team secures permits and signs tenants, according to Axios. Interested businesses can reach out to the leasing team through Helix for current availability and leasing terms.
