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.

The West Philadelphia skyline continues to transform as construction at the high-rise at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard (also known as Schuylkill Yards West) in University Cityis making significant progress. The tower is a part of a 14-acre mega-project dubbed Schuylkill Yards, which features a number of proposed buildings, including a potential supertall. The building is on its way to rising to its full height of 361 feet, with a structure soon comprised of 28 floors. Designed by the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism and developed by Brandywine Realty Trust, the tower will feature 326-units along with office and lab space and a park between the building and Schuylkill Yards East, another high-rise building proposed next door.