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.

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has observed that neither demolition nor construction work has started at the 11-story Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center proposed at 214 South 9th Street in Washington Square West in Center City. The structure will replace a multi-story garage on the northwest corner of South 9th and Locust streets. Designed by Payette, the structure will feature common areas on the lower levels and research labs on the floors above. A multi-story garage remains at the sit at the moment.