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.

Construction has been completed at Ridge Pointe, a 25-unit rental residential building located at 1810 Ridge Avenue in Francisville, North Philadelphia. Built by Omega Home Builders, the building building stands five stories tall and features a 3,500-square-foot commercial space at the ground floor as well as a roof deck. YIMBY’s recent site visit looks at the finished structure.