Concerts for up to 3,400 spectators will take place in a venue along the San Joaquin River with Mt. Diablo as part of the backdrop.

It’s the emerging plan for the River Islands at Lathrop town center as you cross the San Joaquin River from River Islands Parkway.

The Lathrop Planning Commission will review plans for an amphitheater with the capacity of 3,800 people as well as the Redwood Cafe & Events Center when they meet tonight.

The 6.7 acre amphitheater is going where temporary soccer fields are located adjacent to the Islands Field for baseball that opened in 2020.

The 18,700 square-foot Redwood Cafe & Events Center is going to the west of the amphitheater.

Both — just like the baseball field — are nestled against the 300-foot wide levee with an 18-mile walking and pedestrian path encircling the 15,001-home planned community.

Originally, the 6.7 acres was planned for a community stadium minus the track to accommodate River High football games with a seating capacity of 3,800.

Not having the track was a way to design a stadium where spectators would be closer to the football field and would allow a wide repertoire of community events including concerts to be staged.

Now that the football field is off the table, River Islands High will have a permanent football stadium created around the track at the campus.

The decision to switch to an amphitheater will give the town center adifferent vibe.

A new and expanded Redwood Cafe — parts of which were moved from its former home on Dale Road near Kaiser Hospital in Modesto — will add an events center to the mix.

It will include terrace outdoor dining taking advantage of its proximity to both the river and the amphitheater.

Between lawn and traditional seating, the amphitheater can handle up to 3,800 people.

Ironstone Vineyards, a popular amphitheater in Murphys for concerts, can accommodate up to 6,000.

River Islands plans to cap ticket sales for concerts at 3,400.

That way it will avoid proposed requirement that any event that attracts more than 3,400 people can only take place when the adjoining Islanders Field is not use.

Also, in instances where the attendance is in excess of 3,400, there can be no games or events at the Islander Field that ends or starts within three hours of an activity at the amphitheater.

River Islands is working to secure a 117-room hotel to complete the entertainment/events portion of the events center.

The developer is in the process of final negotiations to secure its first retailer in the town center which will be a supermarket.

The amphitheater’s allowed uses includes civic events.

That means an annual State of the City event for Lathrop could be conducted there.

Various possible uses are for private soccer games or practices, plays, school graduations, community garage sales, Lathrop Days, concerts, fundraising walks and events, farmers market, National Night Out, and more.

The goal is to not only provide a community venue for River Islands and Lathrop as a whole but  also as a regional concert center.

That said, it is being scaled to reflect a desire to create a strong community feel that River Islands has pursued from day one.

The largest concert would be half the size the Ironstone Vineyards venue can draw.

It is a sixth of the size of the valley’s largest concert venture, the Toyota Amphitheater than can accommodate up to 18,000 for rock and country concerts.