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.

Construction on 3151 Market Street, the second building in the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards project in University City, West Philadelphia, will soon be underway as demolition has commenced at the site. The building will stand alongside 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard and eventually 3001 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Designed by Gensler and developed by Brandywine Realty Trust (which is also developing all of Schuylkill Yards), the 495,000-square-foot project will rise to a height of 226 feet and 14 stories high. The building will be mostly comprised of office and laboratory space, with retail on the ground floor.