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.

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that construction is underway at a seven-story, 47-unit building at 1118 North Front Street near the confluence of Northern Liberties and Fishtown. Designed by BLT Architects, the building will rise on the west side of the block between West Wildey Street and Girard Avenue, just to the south of the Girard Avenue Station on the Market-Frankford Line. The structure will take up a footprint of 6,920 square feet and will hold 44,090 square feet of interior space, with just over 900 square feet per average unit. The property will also offer ground-level commercial space, which will positively contribute to the local commercial corridor. The building will be fully sprinkled. Permits list US Construction Inc. as the contractor. Construction costs are stated at $7.04 million.