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.

In March, Philly YIMBY reported that permits were issued for the construction of a six-story, 31-unit mixed-use development at 2112 North Front Street in Norris Square. Designed by DesignBlendz, the structure will span 27,519 square feet and feature commercial space at the ground floor and a green roof at the top. Permits list GRIT Construction as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $5.5 million. Our recent site visit has discovered that the low-rise commercial structure that formerly stood at the site has been demolished and that substantial excavation progress has been made at the site.