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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, three-unit rowhouse at 2442 North Marshall Street in North Philadelphia East. The new building will rise from a vacant lot located on the west side of the block between West York Street and West Cumberland Street. Designed by JT Ran Expediting, the structure will span 3,669 square feet (with an average of over 1,200 square feet per apartment) and will feature a basement and a roof deck. Permits list JPL Construction as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $280,000, of which $40,000 is allocated toward construction.