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.

Foundation work is underway for a residential building that was formerly planned at 1153 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City, as part of the East Market Phase 3 development. Developed by National Real Estate Development, the project is the latest phase of the East Market complex. The work is in progress on the west side of the project, where three stories of underground parking, capped with a public space, are currently planned, though the space may be replaced with a high-rise building in the future. The previous plan, designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, was proposed to stand at 329 feet and 24 stories tall, with an interesting terra cotta cladding.