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.

Earlier this month, YIMBY reported that Philadelphia is poised for a record year of construction in 2022. Low- and mid-rise projects, the type that will provide much-needed housing units by the thousands, comprise the bulk of new development. However, the city is also slated to gain a crop of new high-rises that will further boost the already iconic skyline. In recent weeks, we published several compilations, such as the December 2021 Development Countdown and two lists tallying up the current tallest under-construction and proposed projects. Today, we put them all together and add bonus content to create the Ultimate 2022 Philadelphia Skyline Rundown, which tallies the 30-plus tallest buildings that are under construction or proposed as of the start of this year. To avoid covering too much familiar ground, we added new features to each entry, such as quick facts, featured stories, project contractors (when applicable), and extra photos and renderings, some of which YIMBY has not yet shared before. Read on for our Top 30 list, which makes for Philly YIMBY’s most comprehensive development article to date.