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.

Earlier this month YIMBY shared a recent Civic Design Review submission for Venice Island, a multi-building mixed-use development proposed at 4436-44 Main Street on the Schuylkill River waterfront in Manayunk, Northwest Philadelphia. The complex will straddle both sides of the Manayunk Canal, with buildings on Venice Island and on the mainland connected via a skywalk. Designed by JKRP Architects, the complex will span 144,082 square feet, which will include 1,000 square feet of retail space and 213 apartments. The development will also include 106 covered parking spaces and storage for 151 bicycles. Today we take a detailed look at the development via additional plans, diagrams, and renderings.