1500 South 25th Street

Urban development is a delicate balancing act, and sometimes we must say goodbye to cherished local destinations in order to make way for a plan that is ultimately more beneficial to the community and to the city at large. One of such trade-offs is slated to occur at 7619 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia, where the Trolley Car Diner is set to meet the wrecking ball, to be replaced by a six-story, mixed-use residential development designed by Morrissey Design. Although the charming chrome, neon, mural, and freestanding trolley of the diner will be missed, the proposal at hand makes for more effective use of the site, bringing significant residential density within a two0-block walk of the Mount Airy Station of the SEPTA Regional Rail and replacing the auto-centric restaurant with pedestrian-friendly retail.

Philadelphia YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed sustained construction progress at a six-story, 47-unit project at 1131-39 North Front Street, at the junction of Northern Liberties and Fishtown. The building will be situated on the east side of the block between West Wildey Street and Girard Avenue, just to the south of the Girard Avenue Station on the Market-Frankford Line. The structure will span a ground footprint of 10,200 square feet and will contain 32,223 square feet of interior space, translating into just under 700 square feet per average unit, and will include ground-level commercial space. Building features include full sprinkling and a roof deck, which will offer ample views of the neighborhood’s rapidly growing skyline. Permits list Front Street Two LLC as the owner, Brian Phillips as the design professional, and Callahan & Ward Properties LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $5.4 million.