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 construction permit has been issued for the development of a three-story mixed-use building at 4615-21 North 5th Street in the Feltonville section of North Philadelphia. The project site spans a through-lot parcel along North 5th Street. Property records list Nueva Esperanza Housing A as the owner, with design work prepared by PZS Architects and construction to be carried out by Domus Inc. The total construction cost is listed at $4.8 million.