2442 North Marshall 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 12 + Sansom, a high-rise planned at 123-27 South 12th Street in Market East, Center City. Designed by Studios Architecture, the tower will rise 20 stories tall and will offer 399 residential units, some with balconies. A roof deck will be included with the development. In total, the tower will hold 370,860 square feet of space. Clemens Construction is the contractor behind the project. Construction costs are estimated at $132.25 million.