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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a pair of multi-family buildings at 2125 East Norris Street in Fishtown, Kensington. Upon completion, both buildings will rise three stories tall. Each will feature a roof deck. There will be four residential units within each building, for a combined total of eight units. Each structure will hold 4,672 square feet of space, with construction costs estimated at $465,000 each. KCA Design Associates is listed as the project’s design professional, with City Suburban Home Builders LLC acting as the contractor.