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.

The CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration at 3501 Civic Center Boulevard is starting to look like the projected renderings as facade work is making steady progress. Located in in University City, West Philadelphia, the massive structure is the first phase of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s expansion plan and is being built at a cost of $4 billion. Designed by Perkins+Will, the structure now stands at its final height of 377 feet and 19 stories.