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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed that foundation work has started at the site of a a 315-foot-tall, 24-story high-rise development at 300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard in Northern Liberties. The development will span nearly an entire city block, bordered by North Christopher Columbus Boulevard to the east, Vine Street to the south, Water Street to the west, and Callowhill Street to the north. Designed by Handel Architects and developed by The Durst Organization, the 316-foot-tall tower will feature 10,094 square feet of ground-level retail as well as a new public park as part of the development. The site is located on the Delaware River waterfront a block to the north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, on the border between Northern Liberties to the north and Old City to the south.