Seeing is believing.
It’s the driving force behind a bus tour of what Lathrop and Manteca have to offer employers that’s being organized by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce
Dubbed “Regional Investment, Development, & Entertainment” or “RIDE, it departs Thursday, Sept. 21, at 9 a.m. from the Manteca Transit Center.
The effort is targeting developers, real estate agents, hiring managers, and interested parties for a tour to showcase development and growth in both cities.
The $50 ticket includes lunch at the Great Wolf Lodge before returning to the transit center at 1:30 p.m.
Manteca Chamber Executive Director Joann Beattie noted the ability to physically see what is on the ground is more effective than just brochures and websites. Plus, it also helps to tie in the whole package that the two cities offer for employers seeking a way to effectively and strategically grow their businesses.
Beattie said it is part of the chamber’s efforts working with the two cities to help rev up job generation to complement the region’s housing growth.
The chamber is working with the economic development staffs in both cities to determine what be included in the tour.
Among the pluses the tour could highlight:
*More than 3 million square feet of distribution center space ready to lease along the 120 Bypass in Lathrop in the same business park where Wayfair is located.
*The 100-plus acres in the Manteca regional family entertainment zone anchored by the Great Wolf indoor water park resort and the Big League Dreams sports complex. A brew pub is the next addition moving toward ground breaking.
*The Union Pacific Railroad intermodal yard that is sandwiched between the two cities and perhaps a reference to the Santa Fe Railroad intermodal yard being 10 miles northeast of Manteca plus Stockton Metro Airport 10 minutes away.
*New ground transportation projects moving forward including the McKinley/120 Bypass interchange and the first phase of an upgraded Highway 99.120 Bypass.
*The River Islands Business Park that has $44 million in economic incentives to assist employers that will be adjacent to a planned transit village for Valley Link station that will have rail service connected to the Pleasanton/Dublin BART station. Valley Link is targeted for a 2028 rollout.
Other cities such as Roseville have conducted similar bus tours over the years. The Roseville effort was credited with landing Hewlett-Packard and NEC electronics for that community in Placer County.
For more information about the bus tour contact the Manteca Chamber of Commerce at (209) 823-6121.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
