Downtown Manteca has the laughs.
It’s got more art.
And it’s got a new community garden next to the Center Street tennis courts.
Now the city is close to landing a food truck court.
Mayor Gary Singh made it clear Thursday during the State of the City at Great Wolf Resort that municipal leaders are still pursuing a private sector partnership to transform much of Library Park into a food truck court.
The mention in his speech came prior to the Manteca Chamber of Commerce presenting three downtown enhancement awards.
Honorees were:
*The Deaf Puppy Comedy Club, 127 N. Main St., featuring professional comic shows, a bar and grill, open mic night, and more.
*The Cats Whiskers Art Studio, 118 W. Yosemite, a gallery featuring the works of nearly two dozen local artists in various mediums.
*USA Tax & Bookkeeping, 122 W. Yosemite, that offers tax preparation, accounting, and more.
The food court would enable the city to realize the full potential of Library Park as a gathering place.
A $1.2 million remodel and park expansion completed in 2011 added bocce courts, two playgrounds, a bandstand gazebo, small amphitheater, and murals.
The re-imagined Library was designed to build on the use it had been receiving over the years.
To make it more inviting, the city closed sections of two streets and ripped out the pavement.
The goal to create a de facto town square was based on its uses up until the project started.
Even though it was small, it was heavily used for mini-festivals throughout the year such as Cinco de Mayo, club car shows, art festivals, and mini concerts.
It also was a favorite place for people to lunch, read, or hang out with friends under the canopy of sycamore trees from spring to mid-fall.
Within months of it being completed, Manteca saw an uptick in homeless at Library Park and downtown.
They took over Library Park at first as their primary daytime gathering spot.
And then they started sleeping in and around the park and set up encampments.
A class action lawsuit by the homeless hampered city efforts to stop them from camping.
The city was able to come up with a course of action — that they are following today — that allowed them to establish rules and procedures now in place that didn’t run afoul of court rulings at the time.
By the time the situation was brought under control, the damage — if you will — had been done.
Attendance had dropped off to the weekly farmers market and music the chamber conducted at the park due to the public’s perception it was unsafe.
The negative Library Park image tied to the homeless still persists among many today although the city has been able to address it to a large degree.
The private sector lease would allow the concern that agrees to lease much of the park to control access in ways the city can’t legally do.
The city has been exploring with an interested party the possibility of a long-term lease of a large swath of Library Park and even a segment of Sycamore Avenue west of the library.
The concept is to accommodate upwards of 26 places to buy food between traditional food trucks and some operating in converted truck trailer containers.
The refurbished containers could also house small boutiques and other endeavors such as trendy “bars.”
It would be centered around outdoor dining beneath the canopy of sycamore trees.
The endeavor would involve live music and entertainment.
There could also be a dog park.
The interactive water play feature could also be reactivated.
The city currently leases a city “park” — the municipal-owned Big League Dreams sports complex — to a private sector firm.
The expanded food court concept under private control via a lease is seen as a potential way to make Library Park a major community draw on more of a constant basis. In turn, the additional use is expected benefit downtown overhaul
The concept also could have regional appeal for those in nearby communities.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
