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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story, 42-unit mixed-use building at 6435-45 Media Street in Carroll Park, West Philadelphia. The structure will be located at the northeast corner of Media and North 65th streets and will span a 16,775-square-foot footprint. The 43,729-square-foot interior will include two commercial spaces at the ground level, as well as 1,596 square feet of A-3 assembly (“worship, recreation, amusement, other”) space. Features include full sprinkling and a roof deck, which promises to offer sweeping city views due to the structure’s prominence. The project includes ground-level parking for 17 cars as well as 14 bicycles. Designblendz will likely serve as the project architect, given that the firm’s Scott Woodruff is listed as the design professional. Permits also specify Rodney Allen of Allen Management LLC as the contractor and a construction cost of $7 million.