It wasn’t too hard of a pitch for Manteca to make.
Retired Major League Baseball player Kevin Youkilis was looking for a place to expand his Loma Brewing Company that would be large enough to serve as a flagship operation complete with brew pub.
Friend and fellow MLB retiree Jason Giambi of New York Yankees and Oakland A’s fame told Youkilis he should take a look at Manteca. Giambi, who has an interest in Big League Dreams, sang the praises of the Manteca complex as being the best by far of BLD’s complex in terms of use and attendance.
Youkilis, who spent most of his MLB career as a first and third baseman for the Boston Red Sox and was part of their 2004 and 2007 World Championship teams, took a drive to Manteca.
He liked what he saw.
On Tuesday the Manteca City Council approved a 55-year land lease agreement to allow Youkilis to establish a flagship operation in Manteca on the site of the city-owned BLD complex.
The intention is to have the brewery capable of an annual 1,000 barrel production operational by BLD’s Fall of 2022 season. It will have a larger brewing capacity than his Los Gatos location.
It will feature a 10,500-square-foot brewing facility, a 2,300-square-foot tap room, and a covered patio to serve as a seating lounge with televisions. It likely will include a whiffle ball field to keep with the BLD theme.
It will be located along Daniels Street on the northwest corner of Milo Candini Drive.
The location scored high with Youkilis on three points.
*Since opening in 2008, BLD has booked tournaments every weekend even at Christmas until the pandemic. The BLD also has robust weeknight play — both adult softball and indoor soccer — drawing teams not just from Manteca by the wider region.
*It is within 20 minutes of 1.4 million people and includes four of the 10 fastest growing cities in California last year — Manteca, Tracy, Lathrop, and Ripon — based on Department of Finance stats.
*The 500-room Great Wolf indoor water park resort is opening June 29 just down the street that serves as a bookend — the other is BLD — to the 100-acre family entertainment zone the city is pursuing that shares synergy with brew pubs.
Youkilis’ goal is to have his craft beers on tap at as many local restaurants as possible. he also may expand into store sales with the Manteca brewery serving as his distribution center.
The lease agreement for 36,500 square feet of land is $64,000 before a $22,000 annual city “rebate” is factored into the equation. Over the course of 55 years the city’s rebates will come to $1.2 million. The lease rate was based on a market appraisal of the location’s value
Loma’s business proforma — based in part on its successful Los Gatos operation — projects $3,099,200 in yearly sales in the initial years of operation. That translates into $255,684 in sales tax of which $30,992 will go the municipal general fund to help pay for day-to-day municipal operations such as police and fire services.
The city would also collect $15,450 in public safety tax to help pay for frontline police officers and firefighters.
By the fifth year annual sales would reach $5,547,874 with an estimated $457,700 in annual sales tax. Of that, $55,478 would go to the city’s general fund and $27,739 to fund public safety positions on annual basis.
Lomas Brewery anticipates hiring 46 people in the initial year. Staffing would increase to 68 by the fifth year.
The lease rate of $62,000 will be adjusted 10 percent every 10 years.
Loma is responsible for all entitlements such as growth fees and sewer/water connections as well as the construction of the facilities. All construction will be at the prevailing wage.
The city retains ownership of the land as well as improvement at the termination of the lease.
Loma retains the first right of refusal if the city sells the land.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
