Ever since Tesla decided to expand their operations into Lathrop, the city has garnered national attention for the actions of one of the most closely-watched companies in the world.
And now they’re looking to return the favor.
When the Lathrop City Council meets next week to discuss the business of the city, they will consider renaming Nestle Way – which runs from Harlan Road along I-5 out to S. Howland Road and eventually into Yosemite Avenue – after the electric car manufacturer that is set to open a brand new, 870,000 square foot building behind the former Pilkington glass plant in the coming months.
The entire stretch of Nestle Way, according to the proposal before the council, would become Tesla Way in an effort to “recognize Tesla’s contributions to the local community by providing jobs and their continued investment into the City of Lathrop.”
According to the staff report, the ability to boast about Tesla’s ongoing and expanding presence “will help attract high-tech jobs and other businesses to the region” – something that the company already proved true when a Korean company that helps supply the facility with parts opened their first American facility in Lathrop.
Now, with a new building in the works – the exact nature of the operations contained within has not been disclosed by the ultra-secretive company – Elon Musk’s darling could have an entire street named after it if the council decides to approve the proposal.
In addition to constructing a new facility and maintaining its operation at the existing space that it leases in Lathrop, the company generated positive buzz last year when media outlets that cover the company began to catch on to the fact that thousands of vehicles waiting to be shipped to showrooms and buyers across the country were being staged at the old Pilkington plant. Dozens of tractor-trailers designed to carry vehicles made daily trips down Louise Avenue – either full of vehicles from the Fremont plant for storage, or full of cars destined for another part of the country. The city’s close proximity to major California freeway systems – I-5 splits the town while Highway 99 is accessible by the Highway 120 Bypass and access to the San Francisco Bay Area is just south of the city limits at I-205 – helped make the expansion into the city feasible for the company, and staffers believe that the company’s willingness to invest in the city will send a signal to other companies that could bring even more jobs to the growing region.
The Lathrop City Council meets on the second Monday of the month at Lathrop City Hall – located at 390 Towne Centre Drive – at 7 p.m. For additional information, or to obtain a copy of the agenda, visit the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
