Lehigh Avenue

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.

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, four-unit apartment building at 3418 H Street in Harrowgate, Kensington. The development will replace a single-story garage situated on the southwest corner of the intersection of East Russell and H streets. Designed by Harman Deutsch Ohler Architecture, the building will span 3,640 square feet, lending an average of 910 square feet per unit, and will feature a cellar. Permits list RDM Builders as the contractor and a construction cost of $414,523.20.