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 the construction of a single-family building at 2515 Manton Street in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood. The approved building permit calls for an attached three-story structure with a basement, roof deck, and roof deck access structure. The building will be used as a single-family dwelling and is required to be fully sprinklered per NFPA 13D. Giappo Development LLC is listed as contractor, while Plato Studio is the architect. The permit holder is listed as Mabel Properties LLC.