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 Philadelphia YIMBY has revealed that construction is nearing completion at a four-story, 15-unit apartment building at 2401 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown. Designed by Ambit Architecture and developed by Philly Capital Group, the 14,560-square-foot building stands at the east side of the traffic circle at the intersection of Frankford Avenue, Trenton Avenue, and East York Street, which gains its distinctive “flatiron” shape from its acutely angled site. The development will feature ground-floor commercial space (primarily along Frankford Avenue), a basement, full sprinkling, balconies, and a green roof covering at least 60 percent of the rooftop. Permits list GRIT Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $2.05 million.