Breaking ground within a year or so on what will be the tallest office building in the South County will open the door for the return of the southernmost marina on the San Joaquin River.
Cambay Group is moving forward with a four-story, 40,000-square-foot building to house the River Islands at Lathrop corporate offices. They will use half the space and lease the rest.
The building is going up along River Islands Parkway near the new Lathrop Police station that will open on July 1 when the city’s own police force takes over from the contract work the San Joaquin County’s Sheriff Department has performed since the city’s incorporation.
Across the way is the 500-seat River Islanders baseball field that is hosting this year’s California high school north state baseball championship. Next to that is a soccer complex as well as the site for a football stadium that is also moving forward. The stadium will be used for home games of the Ripon High Riptide as well as host various community gatherings.
Completion of the office building will allow the return of the Mossdale Marina nestled along the levee where Stewart Road T-intersects into Manthey Road.
It’s been roughly 15 years since the last crawdad races took place on the deck patio of the Mossdale Marina overlooking the San Joaquin River. That’s when Cambay Group remodeled the dark and dank Mossdale Marina that served liquor and beer along with sandwiches into the airy and bright River Islands corporate headquarters.
The plan is to bring back the bar and food service complete with a large, shady grassy area perfect for soaking in the river.
It will also involve dockside fuel sales. A gas tank — albeit now empty — is still in place. There would also be bait sales.
Cambay Group opted to keep the liquor license despite repeated offers to buy it. That was so they would encounter minimum difficulty in reopening the marina.
To retain the license, they have had to have employees take required state bartending class required of license holders.
In order to keep the license active, they have had occasional “open bar” events through the years taking advantage of the second lounge with an idyllic view of the river.
Most of the time they have simply served a drink or two every week.
The River Islands’ office complies with state posting requirements as a sign reading “no one under 18 allowed” is displayed in a window at the main entrance.
The new office building won’t be the tallest building in the South County as there are industrial structures and commercial concerns such as the 500-room Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca that are taller.
But as office buildings go it will be the tallest. Topping the list currently is the three-story Manteca Unified School District office building at Airport Way and Louise Avenue in Manteca.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
