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.

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that construction has recently topped out at a six-story, 19-unit multi-family building at 225-27 North 12th Street in Chinatown, Center City. Designed by Coscia Moos Architecture and developed by R+M Development Partners, the project will feature 16,363 square feet of interior space. the development will offer seven bicycle spaces as well as six off-site parking spaces, with one set to be van accessible. Tester Construction Group is the contractor. Project costs are listed at cost $2.9 million.