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.

Philadelphia YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed that construction work is nearly complete at the Frankford Collective, a five-story mixed-use building at 1144 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown, Kensington. Designed by Kore Design Architecture, the project features ground-level commercial space and 12 apartments above, as well as elevator service, full sprinkling, and a roof deck that will offer dramatic views of the Northern Liberties skyline, which is rapidly rising nearby. Permits list the Frankford Collective as the owner, Equinox Management & Construction as the contractor, and a construction cost of $1.5 million.