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.

A recent site visit Philly YIMBY has confirmed that that construction is complete at a four-story, six-unit mixed-use building underway at 2301 Grays Ferry Avenue in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia, with cladding work apparently ready to start. The project consists of a three-story vertical extension. The development consists of a three-story vertical extension to an original single-story structure, where a restaurant will be retained on the ground floor and 8,475 square feet of residential space will be added above. The building features a basement. Permits list 2302 Grays Avenue L as the owner and Donald Plummer as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $1 million.