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 a new multi-family building at 151 North 3rd Street (alternately 225 Quarry Street) in Old City, Center City. Designed by Gnome Architects, the new building will rise six stories tall, with interior parking space accessible at the ground floor. Above this, there will be 11 residential units, all slated to be condos for sale. A roof deck will also be situated at the top of the building. In total, the structure will span 21,845 square feet of space. Gnome Architects is the design firm for the project.