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.

The concrete structure of The Laurel Rittenhouse Square at 1911 Walnut Street, a condominium that will soon dominate Rittenhouse Square, has reached the halfway point. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, the 599-foot-tall, 48-story tower rises just to the northwest of Rittenhouse Square Park. The building replaces a grassy lot to the south and a parking lot to the north. The structure will house 185 rental apartments and 60 condominium units. A three-story structure with retail space and a gym will rise north of the tower. The tower sets back three times from Walnut Street, with the final shape stepping back on all four sides toward a crown where cross-bracing will light up at night.