Dale Corporation

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.

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has noted that exterior construction is nearly finished at Garden Court, a seven-story, 220-unit extension of an existing building at 4746-48 Spruce Street in Garden Court (alternately Walnut Hill), West Philadelphia. Designed by BLT Architects, the project will allocate 149,590 square feet for apartments, 5,700 square feet of residential amenities, around 29,000 square feet of indoor commercial space (plus a 1,500-square-foot commercial tenant terrace) and parking for around 28 cars and 76 bicycles.