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 recently issued for the construction of a three-story single-family residence at 518 South 17th Street in Rittenhouse Square. The new building will replace an existing rowhouse sited on the west side of the block between Naudain Street and Rodman Street. The development will span 2,125 square feet and will offer its residents the amenities of a basement and a roof deck. The project team consists of WB 518 LLC as the owner, the A2 Design Group as the designer, and Waybar Construction as the contractor.