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 new three-story single-family residence is underway at 2056 North Darien Street in the North Philadelphia East neighborhood. Located between West Diamond Street and West Norris Street, the project replaces a vacant lot on a narrow, mid-block parcel. The development will include a roof deck and pilot house, with full cellar excavation and underpinning as prescribed by structural engineers. The parcel is situated within a residential row home corridor, positioned just west of the athletic courts adjacent to Dendy Recreation Center.