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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a new mixed-use high-rise at 200-24 Spring Garden Street in Northern Liberties, Lower North Philadelphia. Designed by Handel Architects and developed by National Real Estate Development and the KRE Group, the tower will stand 15 stories tall and span 403,993 square feet of interior space, with commercial space on the ground floor and 360 apartments above. A parking garage included within the building will offer 83 parking spaces reserved for building residents, with nine for car sharing, 20 for compact cars, four electric spaces, and four accessible spaces, as well as parking for 120 bicycles. A green roof will be will be situated at the top of the structure. Permits list construction costs at $76.4 million.