2220 Wilder 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 well underway at a nine-story parking garage for the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center at 3800 Powelton Avenue in University City, West Philadelphia. Designed and engineered by Pennoni and THA Consulting, the massive structure will span 481,702 square feet and offer parking for 1,483 cars and 129 bicycles, as well as ground-level commercial space. Permits list HSC Builders & Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $46.4 million.