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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, 12-unit multi-family building at 3028 West Dauphin Street in Strawberry Mansion, North Philadelphia. The structure will be located on the southeast corner of the intersection of West Dauphin and North 31st streets and will replace an automobile repair shop. The new building will span a 4,500-square-foot ground footprint and will feature 12,915 square feet of interior space, which translates to slightly over 1,000 square feet per unit. The development will also offer a roof deck and parking for four bicycles. Permits list Dauphin St. Partners LLC as the owner and Priority Building Group, LLC as the contractor.