Manteca’s long-term plan to address growing homeless issues will get a big financial push when 9.08 acres are sold on the northeast corner of Airport Way and Woodward Avenue.

The sale of the property would allow Manteca  to buy 8.04 acres along South Main Street to develop a combination homeless navigation center and mixed use project that could possibly include affordable housing.

It would also get the initial infrastructure in place for a homeless navigation center without using general fund money needed to pay for day-to-day services such as police and fire protection.

The City Council Tuesday voted to remove regulatory restrictions on the land they purchased in 2005 in a partnership with MidPen for an affordable housing project similar to Juniper Apartments on Atherton Drive that no longer is financially viable.

They also agreed to the sale.

MidPen only wants their $1.52 million investment back.

Manteca would get back their $2.5 million put up to help buy the land.

They also will realize anything beyond $4.2 million the land sells for.

It has an appraised market value of $6.43 million based on its zoning for commercial mixed use that allows high density housing and commercial uses.

If the land sells for that much, Manteca could realize $4.5 million.

 The tentative plan

for the South Main site

The 8.04 acres along South Main the city wants to buy for a homeless center/affordable housing  is sandwiched between Funsten Flooring and Extra Space Storage.

The council has made it clear they want the homeless navigation center portion at the back of the property and accessible from Carnegie Court.

 They also have said they want the homeless facilities portion to be separated from what is developed along South Main Street — and assuming nearby existing uses — by a masonry wall. That would prevent fences from being cut as has happened at the Qualex site during previous temporary homeless operation. Such a wall would further enhance security and provide visual blockage from adjoining properties where businesses and industrial concerns operate.

The council’s first choice for the portion of land along South Main Street is some type of affordable housing in the genre of the Juniper Apartments.

But they are not precluded from eventually looking at other options for the land. Possible uses floated in abstract conversations among city leaders have included using it as a site for a new police station to other municipal facilities.

The city can buy the site can buy the redevelopment site for $1.58 million. Just over $220,000 of that would go to the city with the rest distributed to nine other taxing agencies such as the Manteca Unified School District, San Joaquin County, Delta College, and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.

That would reduce the net sales price to Manteca to $1.36 million. With the sale of the MidPen property the city will be able to cover the balance of the land purchase plus cover infrastructure costs and the aquuistion of Sorung Structures for a homeless navigation center.