A new mixed-use senior living development is in the works at a site near Vancouver Mall, and the proposed project could also temporarily bring a new amenity to the area: a food cart pod.
A pre-application packet submitted to the city in July outlines a phased development process in which the western and eastern halves of the site would be developed one at a time, with the food cart pod occupying the eastern half until the last phase of development is ready to begin.
The project would be built on a vacant 1.45-acre site along the north side of Northeast Vancouver Mall Drive between Northeast Andresen Road and Northeast 72nd Avenue, according to the pre-application packet — about a half-mile west of the mall.
Portland-based Bama Architecture and Design submitted the pre-application, and Clark County records list the site owner as S&Y Development, based in Clackamas, Ore. A pre-application conference with the city is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.
Phase 1 of the project would involve the construction of a food cart pod at the east end of the site while the developer goes through the land-use approval process for a new residential care facility on the western half of the site. The plans alternately refer to it as both a food cart pod and a food cart pavilion.
A site diagram depicts the pod as a gravel-surfaced rectangular area with spaces for six food carts around the perimeter and a row of picnic benches in the center, with pedestrian access from Vancouver Mall Drive and Northeast 72nd Avenue.
Phase 2 would be the construction of the care facility, a two-story structure with commercial space on part of the first floor. The pre-application narrative describes it as having approximately 75 units. The facility would be served by a parking lot next to the food cart pod, which would be built ahead of time as part of Phase 1.
The third and final development phase calls for the removal of the food cart pavilion to make room for the construction of a new multistory residential building on the east end of the site, which would be for residents 55 and older.
It’s unclear how long the proposed food cart pod would be in operation; the pre-application packet does not include a time frame or estimated completion date for the project phases.
