When the Lathrop Generations Center opened in 2014 it was billed as a perfect example of a multi-use community facility.

With space inside of the building for the Lathrop Teen Center and the Lathrop branch of the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library, the building – which achieved LEED Silver status for its energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly design – boasts and outdoor amphitheater and an outdoor skate park that still draws skateboarders from throughout the region.

And now it’s going to be getting an upgrade.

Earlier this month the Lathrop City Council approved spending $500,000 from the culture and leisure fund to construct a number of improvements for both the Lathrop Generations Center and the park that is being constructed adjacent to it by the Central Lathrop developer that is bringing more than 7,000 new homes to the community.

The four-acre park site next door will expand the size of the recreational opportunities at the site once the parking lot and additions are completed – finishing the undeveloped parcel to create a much larger footprint that will allow for even more outdoor opportunities for residents and for the city.

Since it was opened, the Lathrop Generations Center has served as the home of many of Lathrop’s community events including the annual Lathrop Birthday Celebration which comes just a few days before Fourth of July and typically serves as one of the first fireworks shows in the area. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that event has been cancelled this year.

According to the staff report prepared for the project approved by the council, the upgrades will include parking lot lighting, a large covered picnic table with six tables and a barbecue pit, pickle ball courts adjacent to the existing basketball court, rubberized playground surfacing instead of wood fiber at the adjacent playground structure, and the completion of pathways that will connect the new park with the existing Lathrop Generations Center facility – using concrete pathways and decomposed granite to connect the two parks.

Once finished, the project will formally complete the original plans for the Lathrop Generations Center. Constructed with a $5 million grant from the State of California, the funding required to fully complete the undeveloped parcel was not available at the time that it was constructed, forcing the lot to sit vacant for the last six years until work on the adjacent park opened the door for the city to be able to finalize the initial vision.

Many of the events initially planned for the Lathrop Generations Center this summer, including movies and comedy in the park as well as community concerts, were formally cancelled during the same meeting because of COVID-19 restrictions on the number of people that gather outdoors.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.