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.

Permits have been issued for 2401 Washington Avenue, Building A, part of the Innovator Village development in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. Upon completion, the development will rise four stories tall and will feature 28 residential units as well as a parking garage. In total, the building will hold 25,264 square feet of space, with construction costs estimated at $3.2 million. The building shares its address with Innovator Village, an under-construction development that brings 82 residential units to the area, many of which have already been sold.