The late Jack Snyder shared a vision with developer Mike Atherton.

It was simple.

Create a new arterial to take advantage of a large swath of completely undeveloped property south of the 120 Bypass that had two freeway interchanges — one at Main Street and one at Airport Way as well as an overpass at Union Road with no ramps — at the time.

They saw it as a golden opportunity to develop commercial mixed with apartments to buffer what was yet to come; new tract home neighborhoods south of the 120 Bypass.

For Snyder, it was ending what was then a retail bleed where Manteca residents were spending a good portion of their paychecks on taxable items in other cities.

Snyder, who served a combined 24 years as mayor and councilman, wanted to restore Manteca to its heyday as the commercial hub of the South County that started fading in the early 1960s.

For Atherton, it was sound planning that would assure successful home building endeavors — his main forte — for decades to come.

City staff largely balked.

They pointed to a general plan that used Woodward Avenue as a future major arterial.

And since it paralleled the 120 Bypass within a half mile, it made no sense to create another four-lane corridor on a route that would go through fields instead of expanding existing pavement.

Various elected leaders such as the late Mayor Bill Perry embraced the vision.

They not only saw the opportunity, but they liked the idea future development wouldn’t create major impacts on nearly 80 families residing along Woodward Avenue where the road would eventually need to be widened to four lanes to accommodate growth.

“The current council is building on what other city leaders help put in place,” Singh said Wednesday as he stood with Councilman Mike Morowit on the edge of 44 acres where Walmart plans to build a larger Supercenter.

Morowit and Singh rattled off names such as Snyder, Willie Weatherford, John Harris, Vince Hernandez, Steve DeBrum, and Debby Moorhead who worked with developers like Atherton to secure Great Wolf Resort, Bass Pro, and Atherton Drive after meeting initial resistance from some staff.

And in some instances, it was continued resistance as Moorhead and Singh learned when there was significant staff pushback on putting in the missing link on Atherton between Union Road and Airport Way.

The public works director, at the time, even when the council made the decision to do it or else after two previous false starts, pushed back arguing it should only be two lanes initially.

Today, Atherton Drive as Manteca nears the 100,000 population mark is grabbing the attention of a wide repertoire of retail and restaurant concerns as it is acting like a big magnet.

Morowit and Singh noted the ability of concerns that want regional draw and can capitalize on Lathrop with its 15,001-home planned River Islands community as well as Ripon and elsewhere said a centralized location with unparalleled freeway access is creating a synergy.

It is a synergy that Singh sees as filling up empty parcels zoned commercial with bustling enterprises that many are clamoring for.

Unlike freeway frontage in nearby cities that is either lined now with distribution centers or had a frontage road put in place like in Modesto that run feet away from the freeway right of way, allowed for commercial development only on one side of the street.

Manteca, by contrast, with Atherton Drive created ideal freeway access with short surface street travel to access commercial areas — current and future — by what is now four interchanges over four miles with the opening of the McKinley Road interchange two years ago.

Take drive down

Atherton Drive . . .

A windshield tour of Atherton Drive from a point east of the 298-unit Paseo Villas to McKinley Avenue will give you an idea where things are headed.

First, you will see initial work on building 818 homes and apartments straddling most of both sides of Atherton Drive.

Roll your eyes at the 818 housing units, if you will, but it only fuels more interest among restaurant chains, national concerns, and local entrepreneurs in filling in-line space being built and proposed or to build from scratch on building pad sites.

The development will extend Buena Vista to Atherton Drive where there will be traffic signals.

It also includes an oversized neighborhood park designed to function as a small community park complete with a water play feature for kids and various recreational facilities.

The stretch before Main Street also includes an entitled 200-apartment unit on the south side.

On the northeast corner of the Main Street intersection is the only unencumbered parcel in terms of development precise development plans until you almost reach McKinley Avenue.

City leaders say it is likely to be a small strip center.

Main to Union

Crossing Main is where work is now underway on a Save Mart, Starbucks, and a Chipotle Kitchen that will soon be joined with work on a McDonald’s and Quick Quack car wash.

It’s part of the first phase of Marketplace at Main.

California Gold, developers of the center, reports a strong interest in the junior anchor space as well as other planned in-line space.

The announcement that Walmart is building a new Supercenter across the street is expected to generate more interest in the immediate area and hasten phase two of the Marketplace at Main complex.

The 44-acre Walmart center will include 11 other parcels the company will sell off for development including one that will accommodate a 40,000 to 60,000 square foot junior anchor.

That brings you up to the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley where Cajun Crack’n Seafood and specialty retailer Flip Flop Shops are among new endeavors preparing to open.

Grupe Huber, the owners of Orchard Valley reportedly have another four concerns looking to sign leases for available in-line space at the 787,000 square-foot shopping center anchored by Bass Pro Shops.

They are also working on securing fast food dining option near the corner of Union and Atherton.

Union to Airport

The Union Crossing project is actively seeking tenants for its development on the northwest quadrant of Union and Main that backs up to the freeway.

It is bordered by Living Spaces.

Across Atherton to the south surrounding the Chevron, a 300-unit apartment complex has been approved along with a business and professional center.

To the west of Living Spaces is where the city bought a triangle parcel for $2.2 million in 2024.

The city is in the process of leasing part of it to Outdoor Media for an electronic billboard along the 120 Bypass that will send several hundred thousands of dollars annually to the city in lease payments.

The city is marketing the rest of the parcel at sit down restaurants.

Just beyond there to the west, the Ten Pin 40-lane bowling alley with sky lounge, 12 banquet rooms and large arcade area has submitted building plans to the city.

The second phase of their development is a massive wedding venue and events center.

Bordering Airport Way, is the commercial area that will be developed by the owners of Manteca Crossings once work on that project is completed.

It is where the Woodspring Suites are now under construction.

Plans call for a car dealership, in-line stores, restaurant space as well as a gas station and convenience store.

Airport to McKinkley

Next is Manteca Crossings anchored by Food-4-Less that will be opening later this year.

The developers is going ahead with building all of its approved retail space.

In the coming weeks, Nation’s Giant Burgers, Jersey Mike’s Subs, WaBa Grill, and Paris Baguette Bakery & Cafe will be joining Chick-Fil-A, Menchie’s Yogurt, Mt. Mike’s Pizza, Quick Quack car wash, Crumbl, Dutch Bros, and Maverick gas.

A 117-room Marriott Courtyard Hotel has been approved directly to the west of Food-4-Less.

To the west and across the street, the city’s largest mini-storage has opened with 818 units.

The corners around the McKinley Avenue and Atherton intersection are zoned for commercial but have yet to be encumbered with projects.

Where Atherton Drive goes

Besides being easily accessible to the 120 Bypass, the western end of Atherton is fed by streets that serve more than 3,000 homes already built in southwest Manteca with another 1,000 or so on the way.

The eastern end of Atherton has already curved to the south.

It’s future extension will serve Austin Road Business Park where zoning is in place for another 4,000 homes.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com