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 Philly YIMBY has discovered no notable construction progress since our last visit in July at 1200 Ridge Avenue, a six-story, 46-unit development proposed in Poplar, North Philadelphia. Designed by Coscia Moos Architecture, the building will rise from a 10,620-square-foot footprint and span 60,404 square feet, wit commercial space at the ground floor. The basement will be allocated to amenities such as parking space for 13 cars and 24 bicycles. A roof deck will be located atop the structure, and will provide panoramic views of the skyline. Permits list HC Pody Company and a construction cost of $6 million.