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.

An updated design has been revealed for 6134-46 Wayne Avenue, a development proposed in Morton, Northwest Philadelphia. Designed by ALMA Architecture, the complex includes the mixture of townhouses and multi-family apartment buildings, all situated next to SEPTA’s Tulpehocken regional rail station. Upon completion, 78 residential units will be included in the development, with 60 in the multi-family building, and the remaining 18 in the two-family townhomes. The project also includes 24 parking spaces and 6,840 square feet of amenity space, with the latter located within the multi-family building.