Lehigh Avenue

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.

Site preparation is underway for a 13-story, 382-unit mixed-use high-rise at 501 Spring Garden Street in Northern Liberties, North Philadelphia. During Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit, we observed that the single-story, suburban-style mall that previously stood at the site appears to have been entirely demolished. Designed by Bower Lewis Thrower Architects (aka BLT Architects) and developed by RREI LLC, the 153-foot-tall structure will offer 60,810 square feet of retail, providing a significant anchor for the long-desolate yet rapidly up-and-coming southern section of Northern Liberties. Due to construction fencing, it is unclear whether the excavators and other machinery and equipment spotted at the site were in the process of finishing the demolition, clearing the site, or actually starting excavation. In either case, it is evident that work is finally underway at the much-anticipated development.