Social Club And Coworking Space For Car Enthusiasts Revs Up In Fishtown

Philadelphia’s car collectors will soon have a place to store their prized vehicles and mingle with other motorheads while they put in their eight hours.

As a car-loving coworking trend slowly wends its way across the country, the Cannonball Club, a social club-garage-coworking hybrid with a wide array of amenities, is coming to 1113 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown.

The 23K SF space is expected to open sometime late next summer, according to Colliers, which negotiated the lease. The Cannonball Club already has a similar facility in Huntingdon Valley.

Those who join can make use of the club’s coworking space, a restaurant and bar, and exclusive event experiences, according to a release. Approximately 15K SF will be used for cars, while the remaining 6K SF or so will house the other amenities.

“Our goal is for the club to offer car enthusiasts an unmatched experience, serving as a vibrant social hub to bring the community together in a truly unique setting,” Cannonball Club founder Chris Allen said in a statement.

Cannonball Club’s move into Philadelphia is part of a national trend of multipurpose spaces that cater to car collectors.

A similar coworking-garage hybrid called the 0-60 Society opened in Houston last year. Customers there can rent glass cubicles that look out on a warehouse filled with high-end vehicles.

Car Space, a concept dedicated to bringing together car buffs and workplace functionality, opened in Raleigh, North Carolina, last fall. Earlier this year, a similar facility called Classic Car Club took over a 60K SF former Toyota dealership in the Hell’s Kitchen section of New York City, Commercial Observer reported. 

The trend isn’t exactly brand new. A garage-coworking combo called Drivers Club opened in Livingston, New Jersey, all the way back in 2018, NJ Tech Weekly reported.

The Cannonball Club’s space in Fishtown was formerly part of the Morse Elevator Works Complex, which won a medal at the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893, according to The Keeping Society of Philadelphia. Morse was sold to the Otis Elevator Co. in 1910, but the location ultimately went out of business in the 1940s.

“As new tenants continue to filter into these classic warehouses, The Cannonball Club emerged as a project that not only brings fresh energy but also honors the neighborhood’s industrial roots,” a Colliers spokesperson said in the release.