>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 six-story, 65-unit mixed-use building at 1201-15 Callowhill Street in Callowhill. Designed by JKRP Architects, the development will contain 83,667 square feet of residential area. The units will all function as co-living spaces, meaning there will be 239 beds within the structure. The project will also feature a 3,989-square-foot retail component on the ground floor and 8,854 square feet of office and amenity space. A 17,790-square-foot underground garage will hold 41 parking spaces, with two being ADA-compliant and three allocated for electric vehicles, as well as 22 bicycle spaces. Construction costs are estimated at $17.2 million.