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 three three-story single-family rowhouses at 2704 Jefferson Street, 2710 Jefferson Street, and 2720 Jefferson Street in Brewerytown, North Philadelphia. The buildings will be erected upon three non-contiguous vacant lots on the south side of the street between North 27th Street and Marston Street. Designed by Moto Designshop, each structure will span 1,253 to 1,353 square feet of floor space. Permits list the Philadelphia Land Bank as the owner and Spruce Builders as the contractor.