4233 Chestnut 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.

In contrast to smaller developments, major skyscraper projects are backed by large teams, which include promotion staff and sales galleries that are open to the public, many with physical models of the building exterior and interiors. Arthaus is a 542-foot-tll condominium under construction at 311 South Broad Street in Center City. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Dranoff Properties, the tower rises 47 stories and will include 108 residential units, with leasing currently underway. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at a physical model of the skyscraper, which stands at the sales gallery located at the northeast corner of the ground floor of the Symphony House.