Shadowbrook — the largest new neighborhood ever to be built east of Highway 99 — is moving closer toward ground breaking.
The city is in the process of securing right of way to widen Southland Road to allow the 492-home development on the east side of Highway 99 between Southland Road and Louise Avenue to proceed.
While it may be until early 2018 that foundations for the first homes are poured, it is a sign that this year’s flurry of new home starts — 315 through July 31 — is likely to pick up especially since several new neighborhoods south of the 120 Bypass have just started building homes. The 315 figure includes 55 single family home starts in July.
Manteca is on pace to top 500 new single family home starts this year. If that happens this will be the best year for new home construction since 2006 when 549 new homes were built. Overall when apartments are added to the mix, Manteca will likely eclipse the 700 mark for housing starts by Dec. 31.
Site work has started for 164 apartment units on the northeast corner of Van Ryn Avenue and Atherton Drive. The complex known is Tesoro Apartments are expected to be completed by mid-2018. Permits for the construction of the buildings housing the apartments are expected to be issued in the coming months.
That is in addition to two smaller apartment complex projects now being built — the 8-unit Villa Capri apartments p in the 200 block of North Fremont where it T-intersects with Pine Street between Center and Fir streets — and 19 apartments being added to the Vista Verde complex on Eastwood Avenue
Without another single family home start in the next five months, when the permit for Tesoro is issued the number of overall housing unit starts in Manteca for 2017 will be at 506 due to 191 apartment s being added.
Tesoro is being designed with millennial renters in mind. To that end, besides a community center and swimming pool along with a tot lot it will feature a built-in dog wash area as well as a bicycle repair shop for tenants to access. The community center will also have solar panels to generate electricity. It will also feature an outdoor living area adjacent to the swimming pool.
The project will have decorative wrought iron fencing with automatic gates to provide enhanced security.
Apartment units will range in size from 735 to 1,295 square feet. That compares to Paseo Villas that range from 737 to 1,292 square feet. The only carpet will be in bedrooms and closets while the rest of the flooring will employ laminate wood-style planks. It will include quartz style countertops among other touches.
There are 14 main apartment buildings ranging from one to three stories. There will be six structures with 66 individual garages for parking as well as 154 covered spaces
It will include a bus stop along Van Ryn Avenue.
 The complex is being built in one phase. It represents nearly a $30 million investment by Manteca developers Mike Atherton and Al Boyce. It will be managed by The Garibaldi Company. It is the same firm that manages Paseo Villas.
The overall construction is expected to take eight months. When competed there will be 610 apartments in three complexes along Atherton Drive split almost evenly by Van Ryn Avenue.
 
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com