Dale Corporation

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.

The ongoing urban revival continues in West Kensington with a permit issue for a four-story, 14-unit residential building at 2500 North Mascher Street. The development will replace a vacant lot at the northwest corner of North Mascher and West Cumberland streets, and will likely extend across the block to Mutter Street to the west. The building will span a 2,867-square-foot ground footprint and hold 14,337 square feet of interior space, which averages to just over 1,000 square feet per typical unit. The project will feature a cellar, full sprinkling, and roof decks, which promise sweeping skyline vistas due to the building’s prominence above the surroundings. Permits list Laurie Korbin and Erika D. Millman-White as owners, Nicholas Coluter of KCA Design Associates as the design professional, and LNHA New Homes LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are stated at $1.5 million.