1825 Diamond 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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit confirms that construction has not yet begun at the three-story single-family rowhouse proposed at 1816 Seybert Street in Cecil B. Moore, North Philadelphia, as seen in a recent site visit by Philly YIMBY. The development will replace a vacant lot on the south side of the block between North 18th and North 19th streets, situated a block east of the Girard College campus Designed by Carolina Pena of Parallel Architecture Studio LLC, the structure will span 1,987 square feet and will feature a cellar, a roof deck, and full sprinkling. Permits list BI Direct LLC as the contractor.