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 Philly YIMBY site visit has noted that construction work is complete at a five-story, 21-unit condominium building at 2209 North Broad Street, near Temple University in North Philadelphia, has revealed significant construction progress. The development is situated on the east side of the block between West Susquehanna and Dauphin Avenue a block north of the Temple campus. Designed by KCA Design Associates, the structure will feature ground-floor retail, a cellar, elevator service, seven bicycle parking spaces, and a roof deck. Permits list Golden Rule LLC as the owner, V2 Properties Construction Management as the contractor, and a construction cost of $2.5 million.