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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has confirmed completion of construction at a single-family rowhouse at 1602 South 13th Street in East Passyunk, South Philadelphia. The building rises on the west side of the block between Tasker and Morris streets, one house away from the intersection of 13th and Tasker streets. The development involves a near-complete overhaul of an existing rowhouse, which will increase the size of the structure from 2,685 to 2,870 square feet. Permits list Dennis Du and Khoa D. Du as owners, Toner Architects as the designer, and James DeSimone of DeSimone Contracting as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $200,000.