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.

Zoning and building permits have been issued for the construction of a new attached residential structure at 1211 West Cumberland Street in North Philadelphia. The property is located within the RM-1 zoning district and is approved for Residential-Household Living-Two-Family. The approved development authorizes the erection of an attached new structure with a cellar and an accessory roof deck, for residential use only, along with a roof access structure, as shown in the approved plans. T&I Development LLC is listed as the owner. SZM Group LLC is identified as the contractor. KCA Design Associates, LLC is listed as design professional.