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 recent Civic Design Review has revealed new renderings are out for 23 West Girard Avenue, a mixed-use development proposed in Fishtown, Kensington. Upon completion, the building will rise six stories tall with 5,406 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The upper floors of the building will host 107 residential units, which will occupy the vast majority of the 104,160 square foot building. The building will also offer a 6,000 square foot roof deck which will likely offer sweeping skyline views. There will be 29 parking spaces included with three for electric vehicles and one as a car share spot. JKRP Architects designed the building.