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 nearing completion at a nine-story-tall, 108-unit mixed-use building at 545 North Broad Street in Poplar, Lower North Philadelphia. The development is located rises on the east side of the street, spanning a lot bordered by Brandywine Street to the south and Green Street to the north. Designed by CANNOdesign and developed by Elk Street Management, the building spans 152,635 square feet, a figure that includes 11,130 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The project will feature a roof deck and parking for 31 cars and 50 bicycles. Permits list the Daniel J. Keating Company as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $20 million.