Work is starting on a 286,072-square-foot spec building in Spreckels Park on a parcel that backs up to the Highway 99 northbound transition ramp to the westbound 120 Bypass.
The shell for the spec building being pursued by Scannell Development is valued at $16.7 million based on a permit the City of Manteca issued in September.
Currently the city is reviewing a foundation permit valued at $2.7 million for a 585,000-square-foot spec building in the Pacific Business Park where Amazon is opening a Prime delivery center just west of the Manteca Unified School District office complex on Louise Avenue. When it is finished, it will edge out the Ford Motor Small Parts Distribution Center on Spreckels Avenue by 35,000 square feet as the largest commercial structure in Manteca.
The Scannell building when coupled with six other projects now underway brings the value of building permits issued for commercial endeavors so far in 2017 to $48.4 million. Work is underway on the  404,657-square-foot distribution center now under construction on Airport Way south of Roth Road for the relocation of 5.11 Tactical distribution operations from Modesto and Lathrop.
The two new spec buildings — as well as a proposed 1.2 million square-foot structure CenterPoint is moving forward with that is known as the Laurie Project near the 5.11 Tactical site — is expected to put Manteca in the hunt to land more jobs.
In the first nine months of the year the city has issued 1,018 permits for construction work valued at $168.1 million.
That means the city by year’s end is likely to blow the doors off the current single year record for new construction starts that was set in 2002. The $191.1 million record was powered by significant construction in the Spreckels Park Business Park and 803 new homes. The year 2002 was the second highest for housing starts in Manteca. It was the second highest year since the mid-1980s for new topped only by 1,075 new homes in 2000.
In terms of the dollar amount of construction, Manteca is on track to set a new dollar record in excess of $270 million. 
That’s based on the Pacific Business Park project permit for a shell building to come in at about $30 million as well as the 154-unit apartment complex being built at Van Ryn Avenue and Atherton Drive that the developer expects will cost in excess of $20 million.
If no other permits were issued in the last three months of the year that would put Manteca’s total at $238 million.
Toss in new home construction and other work Manteca is expected to see in the last three months of the year and overall construction could easily top $270 million.
There were 56 new single family home permits issued in September that were valued at $16.7 million.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com