The western end of downtown is creating a lot of buzz.

For years, it was dominated by vacant store spaces, a free-standing wall left over from a fatal 1980s fire, the homeless, and three boarded-up fire-damaged buildings.

In the last year little changes have been taking place — spurred by targeted city spending, the formation of the Downtown Manteca Improvement District, and private sector investment.

The latest appeared several days ago along Yosemite between Sycamore Avenue and the train tracks.

City crews installed the first of seven planters purchased by the downtown district and prepped by Rainforest Nursery over tree wells where diseased and problematic trees were removed years ago.

The placement isn’t random. It allowed the city to take advantage of existing in ground irrigation installed when the trees were planted.

“The plan is to place planters where there is a vacant tree well,” City Manager Toni Lundgren said Wednesday.

But that isn’t the only thing new.

Crews Wednesday were working on placing circular bases for the placement of a series of giant pseudo California Golden Poppy “sculptures” that will allow for the stringing of LED clear lights in a cross-cross pattern — similar to lights above the 100 block of North Maple Avenue — across the first downtown parklet being created on the northeast corner of Yosemite and Sycamore avenues.

It is where the city just completed the “Choose Good Vibes” mural on the east facing wall overlooking two parcels the city bought for $80,000 after they basically sat unused — save for the conversion of one into a private parking lot — for more than 40 years following a fire that destroyed two buildings.

When the city removes the freestanding wall last year, they left enough of the concrete masonry block to cap off to create essentially the city’s longest downtown “bench” seat stretching from the sidewalk along Yosemite Avenue to the alley.

The parklet, using an existing cement slab, will be programmed for a variety of uses to engage the community from organized roller skating events and food truck parking to things along the line of small farmers’ markets, antique swaps, and possibly even activities like low-key outdoor concerts.

The city also plans to upgrade the existing parking lot adjoining the parklet space.

Lundgren said city is also working on completing the Tidewater kiosk THC had the framework installed a quarter of a century ago.

The kiosk, located across the street as part of a Tidewater Bikeway plaza, was supposed to include a map board of the bikeway, list rules, and serve as an information board of sorts.

Lundgren said it likely will be finished by using it for art work of some sort.

It essentially will finish a project the city did 25 years ago that they didn’t complete due to a lack of money.

It was to be done in a second phase of Tidewater improvements the city talked about but never followed through on.

The past year has seen the city in western downtown add the whimsical oversized teal Adirondack chair with planters at Center and Sycamore, the community garden along the tennis courts complete with a mural on an equipment container, lighting for the tennis court, and a decorative sidewalk across Center Street at Poplar Avenue.

This month will mark the fourth business to open in the immediate area in the past six months — a meat market. It joins a coffee shop, a dress shop, and a computer/smartphone repair shop.

If you count a Mexican market/taqueria just across the tracks on Yosemite Avenue, there have been five new business openings in the last six months.

A martial arts studio is also preparing to open.

Then there are things you don’t see.

The downtown group has contracted with Manteca Property Services for basically daily trash clean-up sweeps of downtown to piggyback with municipal efforts at Library Park.

Private security the district had contracted with has augmented city efforts to address loitering.

Councilman Dave Breitenbucher noted the homeless killing time during the day at Library Park has dropped off to a handful thanks to City’s emergency shelter efforts at 555 Industrial Park Drive.

The homeless bedding down in the downtown area has gone from upwards of two dozen a night to now being a rarity thanks to police efforts and the city taking advantage of a Supreme Court ruling.

Breitenbucher issues a

challenge to naysayers

Breitenbucher, who represents District 1 that downtown is part of, issued a challenge to perennial critics of downtown to explore it instead of just posting negative things about it.

“There’s a lot of great things going on,” he said.

Breitenbucher rattled off a list that included the Veterans Murals, Music on Maple, Brethren Brewery, Deaf Puppy Comedy Club, Besitos Fine Cuisine, Rice & Roll’d, R&B, Retro Pie, Frank’s Cafe, House of Mokha and more.

Breitenbucher takes his 5 year-old granddaughter Charlotte on downtown excursions all the time walking to places like the library and the oversized chair and them stopping at Sha Sha’s Sweets on Maple Avenue for a treat.

Breitenbucher noted more people are also making use of the low-key setting Library Park offers with its shade canopy provided by massive sycamore trees.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com