>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.

Residential building permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story two-family residential building at 861 North 15th Street in the Fairmount neighborhood of lower North Philadelphia. The new structure will rise from the east side of thee block between Ogden Street and Poplar Street. The development will span 2,079 interior square feet and will offer features such as a cellar and a roof deck. The development team consists of the V&V Holdings as the owner, Fusa Designs as the architect, and V&V Investment Inc. (doing business as Vardgas Oganisean) as the contractor.