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 progress continues at The Maven, a 28-unit mixed-use development located at 1533 Ridge Avenue in Francisville, North Philadelphia. Designed by CANNOdesign and developed by Khosla Properties, the building already stands at its final height of five stories. Upon completion, the 23,665-square-foot project will offer commercial space on the ground floor and residences consisting of studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. Tester Construction is the development’s general contractor. Construction costs are estimated at $3.9 million.