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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of two three-story, three-unit residential buildings at 6602 and 6604 Lansdowne Avenue in Carroll Park, West Philadelphia. The adjacent structures will rise on a vacant lot just off the intersection of Landsowne Avenue and North 66th Street. The two appear to be developed in conjunction as the same team is listed for each, and will apparently be twinned as the pair shares the exact same figures. Each building will span a ground footprint of 1,484 square feet, contain 3,051 square feet of interior space (granting an average of around 1,000 square feet per unit), and feature full sprinkling. Permits for each property list City Block Acq VIII LLC as the owner, Scott Woodruff as the design professional, and AIMES LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $389,900 per structure.