6044 Chestnut Avenue

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 underway at a three-story single-family rowhouse at 2249 Pemberton Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. The development replaces a two-story prewar rowhome situated on the north side of the block between South 22nd and South 23rd streets. Designed by J.O.S. Serratore & Company Architects, the structure will span 2,520 square feet and will feature a cellar and a roof deck. Permits list Kildare Construction as the contractor.