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.

Construction permits have been issued for a three-story, two-family residential building at 1010 West Colona Street in the Hartranft neighborhood in North Philadelphia, near Temple University. The new building will be constructed upon a presently vacant site situated at the south side of the block between North 10th and North 11th streets. The development will offer 3,512 square feet of interior space, a basement, and a roof deck. The project team consists of Plato Marinakos, Jr. of Plato Studio as the architect, and Lynx Management Solutions as the contractor.