Manteca may be getting a downtown gateway arch in the 100 block of South Main Street.

The City Council will decide if the $618,000 project — being paid for partially with $300,000 in  remaining pass-through federal COVID relief funds that must be committed and spent by Dec. 31, 2026 —  takes place.

Elected leaders had instructed City Manager Toni Lundgren to identify one-time projects that wouldn’t normally be tackled with general fund money to provide additional amenities for Manteca.

A gateway arch was part of the downtown makeover plan adopted in 2004 that led to the placement of improvements such as the old-fashioned style street light poles and traffic signals, pavers, benches, the Library Park renovation and expansion, and the transit center with a community room.

Plans called for additional work including a gateway arch in the 100 block of South Main between Yosemite Avenue and Moffat Boulevard,

But the city, after spending nearly $4 million on street lights and streetscape improvements plus $9 million on the park and transit center, did not complete other facets of the plan.

The big money items that were not done was the  arch and additional old-fashion style street lights along Center Street and  the 100 blocks of the streets that cross Yosemite and Center like they are in the 100 block of Maple Avenue.

The consultant at the time concluded Manteca in the 1910s had an arch with the community’s name on it on Yosemite Avenue.

Based on research by the late Ken Hafer, there were arches put in place primarily for the purpose of lighting. Each arch had numerous light bulbs. One arch had “Manteca” on it.

They were replaced with street light poles after the city incorporated in 1918.

The proposed arch would have lighting that could be changed based on holidays such as red, blue, and white on the Fourth of July or possibly green and white on St. Patrick’s Day.

The city received nearly $14 million in federal COVID funds. What they didn’t need to cover pandemic related expenses or loss of sales tax revenue due to forced closures was put toward needed street maintenance equipment, a wastewater treatment plant project, and such needs.

What was left was earmarked for various one-time projects by the council such as license plate readers, the waterplay feature being built at Woodward Park, the cricket field at Doxey Park, Center Street tennis court lighting, basketball court lighting at Woodward Park, and the community garden.

The council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

Nearby cities — Ripon, Lathrop, and Modesto — have gateway arches.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com