1541 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.

Zoning permits have been issued for the construction of seven single-family structures at 2231-2243 East William Street in Port Richmond, Kensington. The buildings will replace a large vacant site on the northeast side of a block between Trenton Avenue and Tulip Street. Each structure will span a footprint of 700 square feet and a roof deck accessed via a pilot house. William Street Development LL [sic] is the listed owner for all properties.