>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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit to the 27-unit residential project under construction at 2100 Hamilton Street revealed that cladding has reached the top of the 11-story structure, though progress has slowed down since our last site visit. Designed by Philadelphia based architects Cecil Baker + Partners and developed by Bock Development Group, the building stands in the Franklintown neighborhood in North Philadelphia near Logan Square in Center City to the south. Last year, the structure reached its full height of 115 feet and is on its way to becoming the latest luxury development in a neighborhood that rarely sees new construction.