>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 new mixed-use residential project is moving forward at 1871 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, where a building permit has been issued for the construction of a three-story, four-unit development combining residential and commercial uses, which will span a total construction area of 4,887 square feet. Project records list GuardHouse Construction as the contractor. Architectural services are attributed to Ambit Architecture.