Manteca is working with state leaders in a bid to make it possible to secure 8 acres for use as a navigation center they deem crucial to advancing initiatives to address homeless issues in the city.
The plan — if it works — would transfer the land on South Main Street to the city at no cost. It was purchased by the now defunct Manteca Redevelopment Agency in 2004 for $2.6 million for the original purpose of building a satellite Superior Court facility and police department.
The deal would require the city to use part of the parcel to build a homeless navigation center along with transitional housing. It would also allow the city to use part of the land for an affordable housing project or other possible public uses such as a new police station.
The plan calls for the state to dip into its surplus to make all of the taxing agencies whole that are entitled under the law to receive their proportionate tax rate share of former RDA property once it is disposed.
That amount would be based on the fair market value of an updated appraisal.
Based on an appraisal the city secured in February 2021 the market value of the land at that time was $1.58 million. If that was the value today Manteca Unified as recipient of 51 percent of each basic $1 in property taxes collected would receive $790,00 and the city almost $290,000.
The district has been using RDA money to acquire property around Manteca High to allow expansion of the 102-year-old campus so it can accommodate 2,200 students.
The city would be able to wed its share of the funds to help develop a 300-bed drop-in shelter along with a navigation center, and transitional housing with $2 million for that purpose they have been allocated in state pass thru money from the state to address homeless needs.
Manteca may also tap into proceeds from the sale of land on the northeast corner of Airport Way and Woodward Avenue plus what other grants they can obtain. The goal is to get a homeless complex up and running without raiding the general fund that pays for day-to-day municipal services such as police, fire, parks upkeep, and street maintenance among other items.
City leaders have repeatedly promised that the portion of the parcel that will be dedicated for homeless uses would be accessible only from Carnegie Court. In addition, there would be an 8-foot masonry wall separating and securing uses on the front portion of the property along South Main from the operations dealing with homeless.
A consultant has suggested developing affordable housing with commercial space on the bottom floor of several buildings along South Main Street.
Such projects are difficult to fund given the dearth of tax-exempt bonds and the elimination RDA funding that made such projects feasible over the years elsewhere in California and in Manteca to allow the building of subsidized senior housing such as Cottage Villages on Cottage Avenue and workforce housing such as Juniper Apartments on Atherton Drive.
The possibility of the land along South Main Street being used to build a new police station may be more plausible. At least three council members have indicated they are open to the idea.
The city also has almost $20 million in government facilities fees collected from growth. Part of that could be used in conjunction with bond or similar financing mechanism to construct a police complex and then use incoming growth fees to retire the debt.
To contact Dennis Wyatt. Email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
