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 the construction of three new multi-buildings located at 711-19 North 7th Street in Northern Liberties, North Philadelphia. One of the buildings will rise four stories tall, with a commercial space on the ground floor, and five residential units above. The building will hold 7,220 square feet of space, and cost an estimated $866,400 to build. The other two buildings appear to be twin structures with identical numbers. Each will rise four stories tall, with a green roof located at the top. A commercial space will be located on the ground floor of both buildings, with eight residential units situated on the upper floors. In total, both buildings will hold 10,504 square feet of space, and cost an estimated $1,260,480 to build.