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.

In August 2020, YIMBY reported that permits have been filed for a single-story vertical extension to a single-family prewar rowhouse at 1830 Dickinson Street in Point Breeze, South Philadelphia. Our recent check-in at the site has revealed that construction has since been completed, and the five-bedroom, four-bathroom property has been sold for $550,000 in November of last year. Permits show Travertine Development LL [sic] as the owner and Marlon F. Travis as the contractor. Construction costs are listed at $60,000.