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 revealed that construction is underway at a seven-story, 146-unit mixed-use building at 741 Spring Garden Street in Poplar, Lower North Philadelphia. Designed by JKRP Architects and developed by Arts + Crafts Holdings, the project will span 99,114 square feet, which includes retail, as well as car and bicycle parking. Permits list Camfred Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $4.95 million.