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.

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed sustained construction progress at 900 North 8th Street in Poplar, North Philadelphia. Designed by Coscia Moos Architecture, the building is planned to rise five stories and span 48,275 square feet, and contain commercial space and 60 residential units. Features will include surface parking for 12 cars, space for 20 bicycles, and an amenity roof deck at the second floor. Permits list Post General Contracting as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $4.8 million.