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.

Renderings and new plan details have been revealed for the expansion of Northbank in Fishtown. Designed by ISA, the plan will feature 120 new townhomes, 50 new duplexes holding 100 residential units, and a four-story mixed-use building will containing 80 units as well as the new neighborhood’s first retail component spanning 5,000 square feet. In total, there will 300 new residential units and 417 parking spaces included to serve these homes, with 329 in garages and 88 open-air spaces.