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 new mixed-use development known as The Triangle Factory has been permitted at 2221 North Front Street in East Kensington, Philadelphia. The approved scope calls for new construction of a seven-story structure with a cellar, utilizing horizontal separations to create two distinct construction types. The basement, first, and second floors are identified as Type IA construction, while floors three through seven are identified as Type IIIA. G & M Efestos Contracting Inc. is listed as the contractor, and permit records list Ambit Architecture as the design professional.