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 sixth-tallest project on Philly YIMBY’s December 2020 Development Countdown is the most visible development currently under construction in Philadelphia. Arthaus at 311 South Broad Street in Washington Square West, Center City, has already made a major impact on the skyline as it nears topping out at a height of 542 feet and 45 stories (though the marketing material describes the building as 47 stories tall). Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, which also designed the 792-foot-tall BNY Mellon Center, the city’s fifth-tallest building, and developed by Dranoff Properties, the building will feature 108 condominium apartments. Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit revealed busy activity, with workers installing cladding on the superstructure.