It wasn’t your imagination that much of 2019 was filled with the sound of earth moving equipment, nail guns and hammers in Manteca. 

That’s because Manteca came within $1.7 million last year of tying the 2018 record for new construction.

The city issued 3,655 building permits valued at $444.9 million in 2019. That compared to the record year of $446.8 million in 2018 that almost doubled the previous high mark for Manteca construction that was established in 2017 when private sector building reached $228 million.

That means in three years Manteca topped $1.2 billion. That’s just a tad less than the value of new construction for the first 10 years of this century.

If you include government construction, between the new work on the Union Road/120 Bypass interchange and  the wastewater treatment plant among a number of notable projects Manteca building activity surpassed the half billion mark in 2019.

The biggest building started in 2019 is the 746,900 square-foot distribution style warehouse going up on North Airport Way at Lovelace Road sandwiched between 5.11 Tactical and Penske Logistics’ operations that serves as the Northern California-Nevada distribution center for Lowe’s Home Improvement Center. The building’s shell with a value of $42.7 million represented just under a 10th of the value of overall construction last year.

The facility being built in the CenterPoint Business Park is also a reason why 2020 will get off to a strong start.

There is an $18 million permit in review for tenant improvements which means they have a distribution client lined up to occupy the building but have yet to announce the client.

Altogether $41.6 million worth of building permits are now being viewed at City Hall including $9 million for a four-story, 78-room  Tru by Hilton Hotel at 180 Northwoods Avenue north of where the Chick-Fil-A is under constriction

The Tru by Hilton hotel will feature a game room, an exercise room, a laundry room, a business area, public restrooms, and an outside patio. It will have 79 parking stalls.

The 39,573-suare-foot structure will employ a modern architectural design with features unique to Tru by Hilton. The hotel is being built on a 1.16 acre lot immediately to the north of the 58-room Motel 6.  

Among the highlights from 2019 construction activity in Manteca:

*permits valued at $22 million were issued for the 128-unit Woodbridge Apartments behind existing commercial on the northeast corner of Union Road and Lathrop Road.

*553 more single family homes — including 37 master plan homes — valued at a combined $181 million were issued.

*a record 1,024 residential solar power systems were installed.

*122 more swimming pools and spas valued at $23.9 million were added.

*9 commercial buildings including the new Chick-Fil-A valued at $6.6 million were started.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com