>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 has observed that construction work is nearly complete at a five-story, 24-unit residential building underway at 943-49 Washington Avenue in Bella Vista, South Philadelphia. The project rises on the northeast corner of the intersection of Washington Avenue and South 10th Street, just to the north of the Italian Market. Upon completion, The building will span 29,535 square feet and will feature ground-level retail. Permits list TBC LLC as the contractor and Lonny Rossman as the design professional. Construction costs are specified at $4.2 million.