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 August 2020, Philly YIMBY reported that a zoning permit has been filed for the construction of a three-story single-family rowhouse at 539 West Berks Street near Temple University in North Philadelphia East. More than a year later, the structure stands complete. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom residence was sold last December for $500,000. The structure replaces a vacant lot on the north side of the block between North 5th and North 6th streets and holds 3,416 square feet of interior space. Features include a basement and a roof deck, which offers largely unobstructed views of the surrounding area. Permits list V2 Properties Entity 6 LL as the owner, Plato Marinakos as the design professional, and V2 Properties Construction Management LLC as the contractor.