897 North 40th Street

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.

During a site visit in February, Philly YIMBY had observed that, after completion of building foundations, construction work appeared to stall at Bloc24, a five-story, eight-unit residential building at 613 South 24th Street (alternately known as 613-19 South 24th Street) in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. In our most recent visit eleven months later, we found the site in effectively the same condition, with no evidence of further work having been carried out since that time. Designed by Moto Designshop, the structure will feature elevator service, a fresh food market at the ground floor, and an expansive roof deck that will span most of the rooftop and offer dramatic views of the nearby Center City skyline. Permits list 617 South 24th St LLC as the owner and Morgan Plecenik as the contractor, and specify a construction cost of $1.5 million.