It could be a record construction year for  Manteca.
January — typically the weakest month for building activity— was a robust $39.7 million with 147 permits issued. That compares to January 2016 when 140 permits were issued for construction work valued at $5.5 million.
At first glance, the figures may appear out of kilter given two permits are for $20.1 million worth of upgrades and replacement work at the municipal wastewater treatment plant. But even without  the city project the rainiest January in over 22 years saw a three-fold increase in construction activity over January 2016.
The next category involved  two  grading and infrastructure permits for two new neighborhoods valued at a combined $7.5 million.
The rain didn’t stop builders from starting 24 new homes with a combined value at $7.2 million. Builders surveyed by the Bulletin  have indicated 2017 could be the biggest year for housing starts in Manteca since 2007 when 553 new dwellings were built. Manteca for the past 10 years has been building between 285 and 362 new housing units — including multiple family housing — on an annual basis. The record year for new housing starts was 1,075 in 2000.
New home builders report waiting lists that reflect a year’s back up of buyer demand.
Manteca could also break the previous record of $191.1million (in value not adjusted for inflation) set in 2002 for new construction.
CenterPoint is processing two projects at city hall that have a combined valuation of $45 million. The projects include the 404,657-square-foot distribution center for 5.11 Tactical and another 600,000-square-foot structure they are building for an undisclosed tenant.
In additional, Pacific Business Park located immediately west of the Manteca Unified School District office and school farm complex want to move forward on an 800,000-square-foot building likely to have a value in excess of $30 million.
Atherton Homes is also planning to start work on 150 apartment units on the northeast corner of Van Ryn Avenue and Atherton Drive expected to cost in excess of $20 million.
Even if Manteca home builders only build 300 single family homes that combined with the three business park projects, the apartment complex and the construction starts in January would send the 2017 total past $210 million without anything else such as new commercial buildings, remodels, solar systems, heating and air replacement, re-roofing and such included.
Manteca approved 936 building permits for work valued at over $100.7 million in 2016. Between residential and commercial construction the city added 1,234,000 square feet of new buildings or the equivalent of space equal to 10.6 Manteca target stores. The 362 new homes built accounted for $80 million worth of work or 80 percent of all construction in 2016.
Two other areas are starting off 2017 as strong trends.
Twenty-seven solar power panel permits were issued in January at a value of $467,000. That is roughly a fifth of all the 111 permits for solar power panels installed at homes in 2016 with a combined value of $2.076 million
Four swimming pools are in the permit review process. That compares to permits for 20 swimming pools valued at $730,454 that were issued  last year.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com