04/01/2026
Manteca's Downtown has waited for too many decades for a proper revitalization program. But that program should not include the City Council spending $1.2 million to purchase an old building that will require millions more dollars for seismic retrofit and then remodeling improvements for a restaurant that will hopefully "jump start" something downtown.
City Hall should not be in the development business with municipal funds on such a risky venture.
Renovating one old building in hopes they [costumers] will come is not a plan, nor is it any phase of any proper plan.
It’s 15 minutes past high noon on Monday in downtown Manteca. Ben Cantu — arguably a lifelong student of downtown on levels ranging from being an interested community resident, decades as a city planner, former elected official, and even an ill-fated time as a downtown business owner in the earl...
