1539 South Bambrey 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 new construction progress at a six-story, 46-unit development at 1309-25 Cambridge Street in Poplar, North Philadelphia. The project will rise on the west side of the block between Cambridge Street and Girard Avenue. Designed by KJO Architecture, the 51,878-square-foot structure will include a roof terrace as well as 15 parking spaces. Cambridge 9 OZB LLC is the listed owner. Permits note Harrison Finberg as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $6.75 million.