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.

Last October, YIMBY shared a series of renderings for a multi-building, 189-unit development proposed at 2204-14 East Allegheny Avenue in Port Richmond, Kensington. Designed by VBC Studio, the complex will span 146,032 square feet and include a six-story apartment building, 70 townhouses, 17,710 square feet of retail, and 87 parking spaces. Although construction permits have not yet issued, a zoning permit issued in March, which calls for splitting the site into two parcels, indicates that activity is still ongoing on the project. Recently YIMBY visited the site to check out its pre-development condition.