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 two three-story, three-unit residential buildings at 2630 and 2632 North 11th Street in Glenwood, North Philadelphia. The structures will rise in place of a vacant lot located on the west side of the block between West Huntingdon and West Oakdale streets. Each structure will span a 1,120-square-foot ground footprint; the building at number 2630 will hold 3,113 square feet of interior space, while its counterpart at number 2632 will feature 2,274 square feet of interior space. Each will offer a roof deck and full sprinkling. Permits list 2630 and 2632 N 11th St LLC as the owners for their respective sites, and Christopher Menna as the design professional and JPL Construction Inc. as the contractor. The total construction cost of $500,000 allocates $350,000 to general construction and $50,000 apiece for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work.