>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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, six-unit residential building at 1424 Parrish Street in Francisville, North Philadelphia. The structure will span a footprint of 1,360 square feet and will contain 3,771 square feet of floor space, which grants an average of 629 square feet per apartment. The building will feature a roof deck. The site is owned by Rubin Realty LLC, which also recently filed permits for a three-story, four-unit building less around the corner at 830 Burns Street, which will rise on the opposite end of the same vacant lot. Both projects also feature the same architect (Alexander Fiskman) and general contractor (Modern Solution LLC). Construction is expected to cost $180,000.