Manteca civic leaders — when a new police station is built — want to make sure that it can be expanded.

It is one of the main reasons why an 8-acre site is desired.

“We want it (the site) to last longer than the current one,” noted Mayor Gary Singh.

Singh along with Councilman Charlie Halford are on the council ad hoc committee for the police station project.

On Tuesday, the council charged them with the task of coming up with an alternative location to the one originally identified last summer next to the wastewater treatment plant.

That site would require a significant investment in extending Milo Candini Drive and Wawona Street along with infrastructure in addition to the $56 million price tag for the actual police station.

The current police station was built in 1978 and expanded three times with the latest being a secure evidence facility built roughly a decade ago.

Prior to that, the police station was part of the old city hall complex in the 100 block of Sycamore Avenue in downtown.

Assuming the parameters for the ad hoc committee’s search for another site needs to be currently city owned, can accommodate the current design, have major infrastructure in place, and must be 8 acres, there are only four areas in Manteca where it could go:

*Anywhere along Daniels Street from Great Wolf and Big League Dreams on the east to almost McKinley Avenue on the west.

*On the south side of Daniels Street east of Fishback Road and the recently completed Staybridge Suites.

*682 South Main Street between Mission Ridge Drive and Wetmore Street.

*West Yosemite Avenue in front of the wastewater treatment plant.

Buying land would push back the project and easily add millions to the cost.

The city, twice in the past, considered building a multiple story police station on the current Civic Center site at 1001 W. Center St., but opted not to do so.

Manteca plans to expand city offices at the Civic Center, which likely will require multiple story construction, once the police station is relocated.

There are two clocks ticking, so to speak, that will require an ad hoc committee recommendation sooner than later regarding a new site for the police station.

The city already has contractually secured an architectural firm for $4 million plus for construction and site development plans based on the council adopting the conceptual plans for the new police department last year.

City leaders have already committed to having a new police station completed by the end of 2028.

The latter is more of a political clock.

The city two times since 2002 when leaders first rejected expanding a new multiple story police station at the Civic Center has bought property twice, spent money on plans, and then dropped the project.

The sites were at 682 South Main Street and 555 Industrial Park Drive where the emergency homeless shelter is now operating in the parking lot.

Given promises made with Measure Q sales tax and the expenditure of significant sums into plans that were abandoned not once but twice by previous councils, anything that may derail efforts to get a new police station built sooner than later could have seismic political backlash in 2026 mayor and council elections.

As for expanding the conceptual design on an 8 acre site, Singh noted there are several ways that could happen.

*Part of the initial single story project could be engineered and built to accommodate adding a second floor.

*The planned courtyard could be expanded into.

*Additions, either one or two stories, could be added to the initial building footprint.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com