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.

A pair of zoning permits have been issued for the construction of two multi-family buildings at 623 North 52nd Street and at 625 North 52nd Street in Mill Creek, West Philadelphia. The pair will replace a vacant lot situated on the east side of the block between Wyalusing Avenue and Girard Avenue. Each structure will span a footprint of 920 square feet. Billy Williams Jr. is the listed owner and Accrete LLC is the contractor for both properties.