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.

The 21st place on Philadelphia YIMBY’s December 2021 Development Countdown goes to the 315-foot-tall, 24-story tower proposed at 300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard in Northern Liberties. Designed by Handel Architects and developed by The Durst Organization, the 316-foot-tall tower will feature 10,094 square feet of ground-level retail as well as a new public park as part of the development. The site is located on the Delaware River waterfront a block to the north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, on the border between Northern Liberties to the north and Old City to the south.