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Manteca: Family entertainment Mecca?
Vision calls for lake, soccer/concert stadium, & indoor sports expo
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A FlowRider could be part of the proposed Manteca Family Entertainment Zone. - photo by Photo Contributed

Manteca’s leaders want to create a 205-acre regional family entertainment zone on city owned land anchored by Big League Dreams and a proposed Great Wolf Lodge resort.

The concept and feasibility study goes before the Manteca City Council sitting as the successor agency to the new defunct Manteca Redevelopment Agency at an 8 a.m. Tuesday meeting at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

The plan also encompasses a proposed new location for the Altamont Commuter Express train passenger service.

The site involves land that is now part of the city’s wastewater treatment plant holdings and is between McKinley Avenue and Airport Way along the 120 Bypass.

The conceptual plan for the family entertainment zone (FEZ) includes:

• a 400-room destination family entertainment hotel – Great Wolf – with a 75,000-square-foot indoor water park and 30,000-square-foot conference center.

• a destination restaurant.

• a new west entry to the BLD complex.

• an indoor all-seasons sports and expo center with four basketball courts that would allow alternative use for volleyball, cheer competitions, badminton, gymnastics, wrestling or exhibit space.

• an outdoor soccer/concert stadium, with 500 fixed seats and space for expansion.

• fields for soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, and field hockey.

• additional baseball and softball fields for youth play.

• a retail food and beverage zone.

• an immersive outdoor retailer.

• an outdoor amphitheatre with stadium-style seating for competitions and performances.

• ESPN-style microbrewery.

• manmade lake with boardwalk with kayaks, canoes paddle board and paddle boat rentals.

• beach volleyball.

• destination playground.

• outdoor performance space including a band shell stage or gazebo with lakeside seating for 500.

• party pavilions and party boats.

• a family entertainment zone including go karts, Lazertag, ball crawl, arcade, mini-golf, black-light bowling, and refreshments.

• an adventure zone with zip lines, rope course, rock climbing wall, whitewater course primarily for rafts and kayaks, stunt BMX race course and hard surface skate park for competitions complete with spectator bleachers, and a FlowRider (a device that generates waves you can surf).

There would also be RV and bus parking complete with a bus terminal. The complex also would involve the placement of a tour center to direct people to tours in the Delta, Yosemite area, wineries and agricultural attractions.

The site would include bike trails and landscape berms.

The FEZ would require 4,281 parking spaces.