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.

Construction continues at Live! Casino and Hotel at 900 Packer Avenue in the Sports Complex district in South Philadelphia. Developed by The Cordish Companies and Greenwood Racing and Entertainment and designed by Bower Lewis Thrower Architects, the building that will be Philadelphia’s second casino will feature 1.5 million square feet of space and will generate over $2 billion in annual economic impact. The three-story casino will offer 2,200 slot machines and over 125 live action table games, and the 215-foot-tall, 14-story high-rise feature 215 rooms overlooking Citizens Bank Park, the Philadelphia International Airport, the Delaware River and the city skyline.