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.

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that construction is underway at a four-story, 60-unit mixed use building at 6311-17 Germantown Avenue in Morton, Northwest Philadelphia. The development is situated on the east side of the block between East Washington Lane and East Duval Street. The building will span 51,592 square feet and feature commercial space on the ground floor, elevator service, a green roof that will span at least 60 percent of the rooftop, 20 bicycle spaces, and full sprinkling. Permits list Knight Rider Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $5.29 million.