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58% GROWTH SINCE 2010
Lathrop going on the hunt for more retail
lathrop growth
River Islands is shown to the south of the San Joaquin River and Mossdale Landing to the north. The two developments have fu4eled Lathrop’s 58 percent growth since 2010.

Since 2010, the City of Lathrop has grown by 58 percent – reaching 28,503 residents according to the most recent data from the California Department of Finance.

And now City Hall is doing everything it can to make sure that those new residents have the amenities that they need.

Later this year the City of Lathrop’s Economic Development Administrator – a position that was created in early 2019 to help bring Lathrop more job-generating businesses and retail offerings – will be traveling to Las Vegas to attend the International Council of Shopping Centers convention that hasn’t been held in person since before the pandemic began.

“Attending conferences such as ICSC provides access to key decision makers, site selection consultants, developers, company representatives, and retailers, while providing an opportunity to showcase the City of Lathrop as a potential location for new business,” the city wrote in its report to the council – which approved the expenditure.

The cost to send the staffer to the conference – including hotel, airfare, transportation, food, and event registration – is estimated to be $2,850.

The conference has been a regular stop for other municipalities in the region that have used it to network with prospective companies looking to expand into the area – with some going so far as sending elected officials along with city staff to help further negotiations. The event is considered a regular staple for cities looking to attract business – like retail – to their communities.

While Lathrop’s decade of residential growth will likely attract corporations looking to expand into the growing market, the city finds itself in a unique position because of the massive industrial growth that has been seen during the same period – growing the city’s daily population as out-of-town workers at the warehouse facilities come into the city for their shifts.

Along the Highway 120 Bypass near its intersection with I-5 Lathrop will see more than 10 million square feet of new warehouse space built over the coming years – including multiple buildings in excess of 1 million square feet.

And the city’s planned future growth will likely make an attractive target to businesses looking to expand.

With River Islands securing an additional 4,000 housing permits earlier this year and other developments growing, there are enough new homes in the development pipeline to more than double the city’s existing population once fully completed – and that would conservatively based on two people per household.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.