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 three-story, 20-unit residential building at 3611 Haverford Avenue in Mantua, West Philadelphia. The building is proposed at a vacant lot on the north side of the block between North 36th and North 37th streets. The development will span 15,800 square feet of interior space (lending an average of just under 800 square feet per unit) and will feature full sprinkling. Permits list the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority as the owner, Joseph W. Healy, RA as the design professional, and Buckley Futures LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $2.5 million.