Photo Work is underway for a pod of 40 food carts with an enclosed dining building in east Vancouver. A developer submitted preliminary planning documents in 2023 to the city of Vancouver for the Vancouver Station food-cart pod, to be built at 1817 S.E. 164th Ave. But construction on the project only started recently. The site is just a few miles from the wildly popular food-cart pod Oak Tree Station, which has patrons circling the parking lot on sunny days. The planning documents show a pod abutting Southeast 18th Street, near the popular German restaurant Gustav’s and Big Al’s entertainment center. The construction is just south of a large property across Southeast 18th Street, which has been planned for a car dealership.

The Vancouver Station developer, Tai Dang, proposed space for the 40 carts, as well as utilities, and an 8,000-square-foot building to house a dining area, commercial kitchen, bar, coffee stand, ice cream stand, walk-in freezer, bathrooms and a fireplace. The site plan also shows a small recreation area just west of the planned building. Dang didn’t respond to inquiries about the project or when it will be complete. Vancouver Station would take up about an acre of the property, while much of the rest of the site includes an already built-out parking lot.

Photo Clark County hasn’t had many food-cart pods until recently. The few that are around are comparatively small. Oak Tree Station, with 20 local food carts, is the first that has managed to gather many carts. Vancouver Station, however, would be twice as large.