>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 recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has noted that site preparation work has still not started at a 328-foot-tall, 29-story residential tower planned at 33 North 22nd Street in Center City West, a year and a half after a construction permit was issued in November 2021. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by the PMC Property Group (which is also listed as the contractor), the high-rise will span 456,380 square feet and supply 341 apartments as well as a garage for use both by the building’s residents as well as customers of the adjacent Trader Joe’s supermarket, which currently uses the outdoor parking lot at the building site. Permits specify a construction cost of $136 million.