The largest commercial building boom in the Northern San Joaquin Valley is taking place along Atherton Drive.
The value of work that is in various stages of progress from initial surveying to prep for groundbreaking, to earthmoving and infrastructure, and the rat-a-tat of nail guns is in excess of $150 million.
Toss in the 818 housing units Quaterra is in the process of starting site work for on the northeast corner of Atherton Drive and South Main Street, and the overall finished market value of what is now underway will push $600 million.
The work in progress includes:
*Manteca Crossings anchored by Food-4-Less to the west of Airport Way.
*What will be the city’s largest mini-storage with 844 units further west of Food-4-Less on the south side of Atherton.
*The first phase of a major retail project to the east of Airport Way in the form of a four-story, 112-room Woodspring Suites.
*Surveying for a Ten Pin family fun center breaking ground this year with a second phase that has a separate banquet hall and wedding/events center east of the hotel and south of Atherton Drive.
*Site work is now underway for Marketplace @ Main anchored by Save Mart on the southwest corner of Atherton and Main.
*The 818 housing units of Quarterra including 672 apartments on the northeast corner of Atherton at Main where site work is starting.
*The 532-stall RV and boat storage with solar canopies on Atherton at Woodward Avenue.
That doesn’t include 510 other apartments approved along Atherton and ready to move forward in the form of the 300-unit Union Crossing on the southwest corner of Atherton and Union and the 210 SOMA apartments on the southeast corner of Atherton and Main.
It might surprise some in terms to what is now underway on Atherton Drive
But it doesn’t Mike Atherton or Bill Filios.
The two longtime Manteca developers were responsible for Spreckels Park and had a role in making Del Webb at Woodbridge and Orchard Valley possible in addition to buildings homes and apartments saw the potential 30 years ago.
City planners disagreed at the time and fought the developers’ effort to place a new four-lane street between Woodward Avenue and the 120 Bypass as being unnecessary.
The two envisioned major commercial and apartments buffering the single family homes they were to build from the 120 Bypass.
The developers persuaded the City Council what they proposed was good, solid planning.
With what is now being built and the commercial in place at The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley anchored by Bass Pro Shops at Atherton and Union Road, Atherton Drive will be on its way to being established as Manteca’s prime commercial street.
Given there is still a large amount of vacant land zoned commercial with coveted freeway exposure and close interchange access, the Atherton corridor will continue to expand with retail and dining options catering to both Manteca residents and those from other communities using the 120 Bypass.
It is already the street with the most apartments in Manteca at 1,087 units.
Add the three other approved complexes that includes Quattera, that number will reach 2,266 apartment units.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
