Manteca Mayor Gary Singh knows how to make an entrance.
Dancing to the sound of the techno beat of “Level Up” — a 2017 single by Ciara celebrating empowerment and growth, Singh made his way through a sold out crowd of 250 people Thursday at Great Wolf Resort’s conference center.
They were on hand to hear the annual State of the City address arranged by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce.
Singh wasn’t just moving to the music.
It was a celebration dance.
And it wasn’t because of a long list of city accomplishments in the past year — ranging from replacing 2,500 linear few of uplifted sidewalks and cracks citywide to securing a breakthrough 5-story downtown senior residential project — that he could share with the gathering.
It was also a happy dance, if you will, about the future Manteca is building.
Once Singh finished delineating the highlights of what Team Manteca — shorthand for the city’s roughly 500 full-time equivalent employees along with fellow council members Charlie Halford, Jose Nuno, Dave Breitenbucher, and Mike Morowit — accomplished in the past year, the mayor got down to business.
It’s business that Mantecans in the crowd — and in much of the community — clearly want to hear.
It was about new retail and new amenities.
Singh did not disappoint.
The city has finally got the attention of WinCo and Trader Joe’s — two markets on the opposite end of the grocery shopping experience spectrum.
City Manager Toni Lundgren confirmed Manteca officials have been in talks with both in recent months.
While nothing is concrete and likely won’t be for a while, Singh let the cat sort of out of-the-bag on a third supermarket.
That “third” market is now in plan check at city hall.
And it’s going south of the 120 Bypass.
Rest assured based on what the growing number of households with gross incomes exceeding $110,000 a year in the area have been asking for, more than a few residents would likely jump in a Congo line with the mayor the next time Singh feels the urge to show his dance moves to celebrate city success.
And the strong likelihood of least one new supermarket breaking ground in the coming months isn’t all that is teed up for Manteca.
Singh shared that Manteca will be getting:
*a Pinkleberry Frozen Yogurt in a new retail complex being built on the edge of downtown
*a Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Atheron Drive west of Airport Way.
*a Fatburger near Lathrop Road and Main Street.
*the Loma Brewery by Big League Dreams.
*a second Chik-fil-A on the southwest corner of Airport Way and the 120 Bypass.
*a second Dutch Bros. on Lathrop Road east of Union Road.
*a Chipotle digital kitchen on Atherton Drive west of South Main Street.
*and a host of smaller endeavors ranging from a Quick Quack car wash to a McDonald’s south of the 120 Bypass.
Singh also pointed to two other endeavors getting ready to open in Manteca — the Staybridge Suites just down Daniels Street from Great Wolf where he was speaking and the new McKinley Avenue interchange.
The interchange is destined to be a game changer.
Not only will the fourth Manteca interchange on the 120 Bypass open up the 140-plus acre city owned family entrainment zone anchored by Great Wolf and Big League Dreams to further development, but it will help spur business park jobs on the city’s western flank along the McKinley Avenue corridor north of the freeway.
But perhaps equally important — especially for those who battle the madness that is Airport Way on a daily basis or during trips to Costco — it will take traffic pressure off the Airport Way corridor.
Taxable retail sales
up 3.4% in Manteca
Singh touched on how the city has gotten its financial bookkeeping in order, set in motion having 86 police officers — up from the current 78 — by 2026, and shared how plans are advancing to build a new police station and a sixth fire station as well stepping up efforts to address a wide array is concerns from street maintenance to homelessness.
And he also delivered a few nuggets of information that clearly sats well with the audience that depends on a strong and vibrant economy for their livelihood, to pay employees, as well as generate and collect taxes to pay for city services and amenities.
That includes:
*3.2 million visitors to Manteca during 2023 based on stays at Great Wolf Resort and other hotels.
*A 3.4 percent growth in taxable retail sales last year,
*Population growth of 24% over the past decade.
*325 new businesses, with the bulk being home-based enterprises.
*Permits issued for 561 new homes in 2023.
*Plans approved for 2,522 more residential units.
*The issue of 4,233 building permits for $415.6 million in new private sector construction.
Singh noted the city has positioned itself well to not just keep growing, but to do so in a manner that will help improve the prosperity of existing residents.
“Trader Joe’s is going to wonder why they’re not here (already),” Singh said.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
