Regina Lackey would like to see the community center built south of the 120 Bypass.

The councilwoman, who represents District 2 that generally encompasses southeast Manteca east of Union Road and south of the 120 Bypass, is absolutely correct that there is a dearth of such city facilities south of the freeway.

Various projections over the years have indicated by 2045 between 40 and 50 percent of the city’s population at that time will be south of the Bypass.

That, of course, was before the push north started and the assumption anything to the east of any consequence when it came to residential development would be a long way off.

Lackey’s request — or observation — deserves serious attention.

If for no other reason than the zombie nature of facility master plans devised by consultants with superficial community assessments re-enforced by public input within cookie cutter parameter that the “experts” have used in other communities.

Those master plans have identified two different “community centers” — a  massive one for a new community park likely in the north and another elsewhere — plus a library, performing arts center, and a new senior center.

The estimated cost of those facilities in 2025 dollars is $174 million.

The odds of more than one of the aforementioned being built in Manteca in the next 10 year years is slim to none unless the city golf course is sitting atop a massive gold vein.

It is why Lackey’s thoughts about where city facilities are located should inspire a full-scale commitment to rethinking the direction the city is heading with municipal facilities beyond basic public safety needs involving police, fire, and the animal shelter.

The next library is based on the assumption there is no value in branch libraries for Manteca, a determination made 25 years ago.

Manteca’s community center approach is rooted in the idea it needs to be one or two massive structures, ideally centralized.

It assumes a bigger senior center is better with no thought given to eventually a second location.

And the master parks and recreation plan doesn’t even mention a teen center per se, even though such a need came up in extensive surveys conducted in connection with the original plan’s adoption in 2018.

The prompts a $174 million question: Can Manteca address all those needs better and do so with less money?

It can if the goal is to strengthen the entire community instead of pursing they worn out Taj Mahl path that leads to large facilities.

It is why chucking the tradition community center and a replacement main library and borrowing a page from Lathrop’s community building playbook and taking it to the next level may make sense.

The generations center philosophy where a library is combined with a teen center can be expanded to include a senior center with complementing outdoor uses.

Remember, Manteca within the next few years will be growing past the 100,000 population mark.

Wouldn’t it make sense to locate two generations centers with facilities for a teen center and senior center with a library/learning center at its heart be more effective at servicing more recreation, social, and cultural needs of residents on a day-to-day basis?

The first would go south of the 120 Bypass.

The second could go at the new community park envisioned on Union Road northeast of Del Webb to serve coming growth and a large swath of Manteca north of Louise Avenue that it would be closer to than the existing library, senior, and private sector endeavors such as the Boys & Girls Club and Thomas Toy Community Center that serve teens.

A third generations facility could ultimately be placed to the east of Highway 99 when that area reaches a tipping point.

Or a third — or fourth — complex could go south of the Bypass.

The odds are the city could remodel and expand the existing library and build at least two generations center complexes targeting teens, seniors, and library services for at a lot less money than the current proposed path.

A series of generations centers may not need a senior component in the foreseeable future to the north and perhaps even the south.

In that case, the “senior” space could be used for recreation classes and so forth in neighborhoods.

Keep in mind Lathrop has effectively programmed a six acre site with a skate park, exercise stations, and amphitheater to accommodate numerous community events as well.

Maybe it is a combined teen center/branch library that works best.

And to be honest, maybe that is the way to go for south of the 120 Bypass and even at the new 50 acre park planned in north Manteca.

It is clearly more do-able financially than a 32,000 square-foot community center costing $28.3 million in 2025 dollars, a library costing $60.5 million, or a performing arts center/library with a $92 million price tag.

It arguably would also be better utilized.

And it certainly would be closer to a lot of people than one centralized location.

It all recognizes the 120 Bypass for what it is — a significant barrier to reaching city facilities in central Manteca if you are on foot or on a bicycle as pre-teens and teens are.

Manteca Transit helps break down that obstacle as well as what issues distance imposes.

But better still is a generations center that serves neighborhoods.

Maybe the idea is nutso.

But it isn’t as insane as Manteca blindly embracing the same cookie cutter approach pedaled by a consultant that is edifice-based as opposed to the outcome the community needs or wants.

Does Manteca need rental space for events and fundraising dinners as much as it needs ways of connecting teens to the community and bringing generations together?

At the very least perhaps relocating the 9,600 square-foot Lathrop Generations building approach that would place a teen center/library where tennis courts are envisioned along the main entrance to Woodward Park provide a higher use for those living south of the Bypass than a community center per se?

The parking is already in place that would support a teen center/library during the week when there is significantly less use of the park.

The odds are except for special events the teen center and library wouldn’t be staffed on weekends.

Perhaps the real misstep in the recent parks and recreation facilities master plan update wasn’t the suggestion of converting the “under-utilized” lighted baseball field at Marion Elliott Park into what was presented as a pressing need for 12 pickleball courts and additional parking.

Maybe it was proposing tennis courts at Woodward Park instead of a generations center serving teens with a branch library complete with programing for everyone from toddlers to senior citizens.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com