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 revealed no signs of construction at a 67-unit multi-family development at 1015 South 3rd Street in Queen Village, South Philadelphia. Designed by HDO Architecture, the building will stand four stories tall. The unit count was increased via zoning bonuses coming from the project’s inclusion of low-income housing and a green roof. The project will include 23 bicycle spaces as well as an additional four more at the sidewalk.