Atherton Drive is turning into Manteca’s apartment row.

There are already 1,312 apartment units built, under construction or approved along Atherton Drive. That includes 603 already built, 428 under construction, and 281 that is being allowed in the new Union Crossing development anchored by Living Spaces southwest of the 120 Bypass and Union Road interchange.

Manteca’s largest apartment complex yet — the 428-unit Valencia Place — is now under construction on 20 acres immediately east of Bass Shops between the 120 Bypass and Atherton Drive. The nearly $100 million project is being built in two phases. The second phase that backs up to the 120 Bypass will be built after the phase now being built along Atherton Drive is completed.

Developer Mike Atherton confirmed Monday that once the current phase is completed in mid-2021 work will start immediately on the second phase that is essentially a mirror of the first phase.

Atherton is also in a partnership that plans to move forward in the near future with another 281 apartments on the south side of Atherton Drive west of Union Road. The complex will be located across the street from where the 116,841-square-foot Living Spaces furniture showroom and warehouse is scheduled to open in mid-2021.

Paseo Villas with 300 units — also on Atherton Drive and built by a partnership involving Atherton — is currently the city’s largest apartment complex.

Atherton and his partners last year completed the 153-unit Tesoro Apartments on Atherton Drive and Van Ryn Avenue. When the two new complexes are completed, Atherton partnerships will have built 1,181 apartment units along Atherton Drive. That is in addition to the 150-unit Juniper Apartments that the partnership sold next door to Tesoro a few years back that allowed subsidized workforce housing to be built.

The gated Valencia complex will include the largest concentration of studio apartments ever built in Manteca. The 42 studio apartments would account for a 10th of the overall unit total and would consist of 515 square feet apiece. The Westwood Village complex on the north side of Center Street at Union Road has several studio apartments that rent for $1,125 a month.

Valencia Place will also include 140 one bedroom and one bathroom units with 727 square feet, 222 two bedroom and two bathroom units with 1,040 to 1,105 square feet, and 24 three bedroom and two bathroom units with 1,279 square feet.

There will be two main entrances. One would be from Atherton Drive directly across from Tinnin Road. The other would be from Lakeside Drive roughly midway between the fence bordering the 120 Bypass and Atherton Drive. There would be two gated exits for residence only along Lakeside.

Each phase of Valencia Place Apartments will include a community center, a family area and tot lots, a swimming pool, and fenced-in dog parks.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com