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.

Renovation work at the Terrace on 18th Street at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Logan Square, Center City, is nearing completion, as the retail space in the eastern portion of the building looks nearly finished. Designed by Oskar Stonorov of Korman Co., the original structure was built in 1963 as an apartment building known as The Plaza. The tower, which stands 267 feet and 27 stories tall, was converted into the Embassy Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Center City in the 1980s. The structure has been under the ownership of Pearl Properties since last year.