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 has confirmed that construction work is complete at a six-unit residential development at 1712 Christian Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. The structures replace two three-story prewar rowhouses on a through-block lot that stretches from Christian Street to the north to Montrose Street to the south. Designed by Moto Designshop, the complex consists of two rowhouses situated at either end of the site, each rising three stories and featuring three units, with a 33-foot-long rear yard in between. Both structures will feature rear and roof decks. Permits list Made Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $400,000.