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.

April Showers bring May towers. Another week, another crane. This time, a tower crane has been observed at the site of Cathedral Place Phase 1 a 245-oot-tall, 23-story high-rise under construction at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the structure will offer a total of 265,849 square feet of space, with 273 residential units, 3,000 square feet of retail, and 18 parking spaces.