351 West Queen 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 three-story, three-unit mixed-use building at 4054 West Girard Avenue in East Parkside, West Philadelphia. The project will replace a vacant property situated on he south side of the block between North 40th and North 41st streets. Designed by KCA Design Associates, the structure will contain 4,914 square feet of interior space, which includes a basement and ground-level retail, as well as a roof deck. Permits list Hammers Contractors as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $600,000.