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.

Renderings have been revealed for a large multi-family development at 2200-58 Somerset Street in Port Richmond, Kensington. Designed by HDO Architecture, the project will rise up to six stories and will include 535 residential units. Building one will hold 187 units, building two will hold 170, building three – 145, as well as 11 triplexes. 179 parking spaces are planned at the lot, with nine set to be accessible, 10 reserved for electric vehicles, and 17 reserved carshare spaces. Additionally, 293 bike stalls are planned, plus 35 set to sit on the sidewalk.