1543 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 noted that construction work is underway at a three-story, two-unit mixed-use building at 1315 Bainbridge Street in Hawthorne, South Philadelphia. The new building will rise as a vertical extension of a single-story commercial structure (currently home to a pizzeria), which will be partially demolished. Designed by Heta Designs, the building will span 1,746 square feet. Permits list Merit Properties as the contractor.