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.

While the Market East district of Center City is seeing a surge in high-rise proposals, development is also taking place on smaller properties around the neighborhood. At 1208 Chestnut Street, a nine-story building will replace the Rainbow Apparel building that has sat empty for years. Michael Alhadad is the developer behind the 49 unit-structure, which will reach a height of 122 feet. The building will be very thin but the thinnest faces of the building will stretch out from Chestnut Street to Sansom Street.