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.

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has noted that construction is complete at a block-long, 58-unit residential development at 620 Moore Street in Wharton, South Philadelphia. Designed by CANNOdesign, the primarily residential project will consist of three adjoining buildings, each rising four stories. The site spans from Moore Street to the north to South 6th Street to the east and South 7th Street to the west, with a 52-unit apartment building, articulated as separate independent structures, taking up the majority of the lot. At the street corners, two mixed-use buildings will each hold a commercial space at the ground floor and three residences on the floors above.