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.

No progress has been made yet at 619 North Broad Street in Poplar, North Philadelphia, an 18-story building that will replace the single-story Bright Horizons Family Solutions structure and the adjacent parking lot. The proposed building will rise to a height of 275 feet, ranking at number 30 on Philly YIMBY’s December Countdown of proposed and under-construction buildings. Designed by Varenhorst and developed by KFA Investments, the building will be a standout neighborhood feature, along with the nearby Congregation Rodeph Shalom at 615 North Broad Street, and is expected to cost $60 million.