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 five-story mixed-use residential and retail structure is proposed at 49 St. George’s Road in Ardmore, PA. The building will add 150 residences and 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail space to Suburban Square, completing the shopping mall’s multi-phase transformation into a mixed-use “lifestyle center.” Developer Kimco Realty Trust expects a groundbreaking late next year or at the start of 2022.