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 revealed further construction progress at a three-story, four-unit renovation and development at 1772 North Front Street in Fishtown. The project is located at the southwest corner of North Front Street and West Montgomery Avenue, across from the Market-Frankford el. Designed by Lo Design, the project consists of a renovation of the front portion of a three-story prewar rowhouse and partial demolition of its rear portion, which is being upgraded with a new extension. The project will span 7,505 feet, of which 725 will be a new addition, and will feature commercial space facing Front Street. Permits list Black Dog Developers LLC as the owner, TBC LLC as the contractor, and a construction cost of $1 million.