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, three-unit rowhouse at 4628 Wayne Avenue in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia. The new structure will replace a vacant lot situated on the southern corner of Wayne Avenue and West Abbottsford Avenue. Designed by Designblendz (according to zoning blueprints; in turn, permits list KCA Design Associates as the designer), the project will span 3,700 square feet and will feature a basement and a front porch. Permits list My Philly Contractor LLC as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $450,000.