>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 49-unit mixed-use complex at 4328 Lancaster Avenue in Haverford North, West Philadelphia. The development will span almost the entirety of a triangular city block bound by Lancaster Avenue to the northeast, North 44th Street to the west, and Parrish Street to the south. The project team includes Cornerstone Consulting Engineers & Architectural, Inc. as the designer and Backcourt Builders as the contractor.