>4080 Olive 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 large proposal called The Standard at Philadelphia has been unveiled at 119 South 31st Street in University City, West Philadelphia. Designed by CUBE 3, the development will consist of a 219-foot-tall building standing 17 stories with two underground levels. The project went to the Civic Design Review but still remains somewhat mysterious because of the limited detail provided. No specific number of residential units has been provided, although it will likely be in the hundreds due to the size of the building. Additionally, the project will contain parking, although the number of spaces has also not been confirmed.