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.

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY revealed that residential conversion work appears to be complete at The Terrace on 18th at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Logan Square, Center City. The 267-foot-tall, 27-story high-rise was built in 1964 and previously known as Embassy Suites Philadelphia Center City. The development was gradually overhauled over the course of the past year from hotel into a 288-unit rental apartment building, and upon our site visit the development appeared as complete, with no visible of signs of construction remaining. The Pearl Properties website indicates that the building is currently available for lease.