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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed that construction is nearing completion at The Anchorage, a six-story, 136-unit mixed-use development at 4442 Ridge Avenue in East Falls, Northwest Philadelphia. Designed by HDO Architecture, the structure will span 174,544 square feet and feature a 10,500-square-foot commercial space on the ground floor, as well as full sprinkling and parking. Permits list 4501 Kelly Partners LP as the owner, Turn Key Realty LLC as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $17.4 million.