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 residential development is planned at 1510 North 25th Street in North Philadelphia, where permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story attached structure with a basement. The project will introduce three dwelling units on a currently vacant lot, replacing underutilized land with new housing density. Designs for the project are prepared by Kore Architecture, with Olympia Construction LLC listed as the contractor. The property is owned by Olympia Stillman LLC.