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 issued for the construction of a three-story single-family development at 2029 North Orianna Street in Norris Square, North Philadelphia. The project will replace a vacant lot on the east side of the block between Diamond Street and West Susquehanna Avenue. The development will span 1,728 interior square feet and will include a roof deck. The project team consists of the Daku Hazbi as the owner, Here’s The Plan, LLC as the architect, and Renato Rizaj as the contractor.