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.

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has confirmed that construction is complete at a four-story, eight-unit residential building at 1309-11 Hope Street in Fishtown. The structure is situated on the east side of the block between West Thompson and Master streets. Designed by Onion Flats Architecture, the building spans 7,247 square feet and features seven one-bedroom units, one bi-level two-bedroom unit, a full basement, and a roof deck. Permits list Peroni Management as the contractor and a construction cost of $1.5 million.