It won’t be too long before the aging strip mall motif of the current home of Lathrop Police Services will be a thing of the past. 

On Monday, the Lathrop City Council got their first formal look at the architectural renderings of the new Police Department that will be constructed in River Islands – a state-of-the-art building that will provide ample space for not just the staff that are currently overflowing their cramped quarters, but also the public as well. 

Designed by Stockton-based LDA Partners and introduced by Manteca native Eric Wohle – who played a role in designing the Lathrop Generations Center as well as a handful of Manteca’s new government buildings including the Manteca Transit Center and the new Manteca Fire Station #4 – the building is being designed to meet the needs of the community and the department that inhabits it. 

At roughly 13,000 square feet, the building will include community meeting space off to the side of a much-expanded lobby – the front of the building being accessible to the public while the working area beyond the lobby would be secure – and the exterior architectural touches of the one-story design will help bring about a modern feel that has been largely lacking from the department’s current facility on Seventh Street. 

River Islands will foot the initial bill of $8.8 million – which does not include the 2.5 acres that the building will sit on or the potential land for expansion – and recuperate those costs through building permits as more residential tracts come up for development. The city will be contributing $1.8 million from its Municipal Services community facilities fee fund that is generated by growth to bring the project to fruition. 

The renderings were provided to the council as an informational item to update them on the progress of the design. A construction timetable was not discussed at the meeting. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.