South Street

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.

Permits have been issued for new residential construction at 1940 Wharton Street in Point Breeze, South Philadelphia, where an attached three-story single-family residential building is approved to replace a vacant parcel. The project will include a cellar and a roof deck with a roof-deck access structure. Zoning and building permit records list 1940 Wharton Street LLC as the property owner, with Toner Architecture responsible for the design and Backcourt Builders LLC serving as the contractor.