As far as Debby Moorhead is concerned the numbers don’t lie when it comes to gauging Manteca as a place to do business and the strength of the local economy.

The councilwoman rattled off a long list of numbers regarding Manteca economic achievements and what is figuratively and literally coming down the tracks during her presentation Wednesday at the State of the City event at the Manteca Transit Center.

*Manteca grew by 5 percent in 2018 making it the fifth fastest growing community out of California’s 471 cities.

*The city added 2,759 residents in 2018.

*Sales tax grew by 5.4 percent in 2018 to top $7 million.

*Three Altamont Corridor Express trains bound for Sacramento and one headed to San Jose will start pulling out of downtown sometime in 2023 once a platform is added near the Transit Center.

*Exeter’s Pacific Business Park on Louise Avenue next to the Manteca Unified School District added 700,000 square feet to house the likes of Medline and Amazon Prime to create 300 jobs.
*CenterPoint has built 2 million square feet of distribution centers along Airport Way near Road to secure the likes of Crothall Laundry, Penske Logistics (Lowe’s Home Improvement) and 5.11 Tactical to bring 600 jobs to Manteca. CenterPoint is also in the process of building two more employment centers.

*Exeter is moving forward with plans to construct 4 million square feet of business park structures on the southwest corner of Airport Way and Louise Avenue.

*Great Wolf Lodge and indoor water park is opening this summer with 500 rooms — making it the largest hotel ever built in the Central Valley. The resort will provide 500 more jobs.

*Manteca is getting 180 additional hotel rooms in the form of a 101-room Staybridge Suites off the 120 Bypass east of Daniels Street and Airport Way and the 78-room Tru by Hilton off Highway 99 north of Yosemite and Northwoods avenues.

*Living Spaces Furniture is prepared to break ground on a 117,000-square-foot showroom southwest of the Union Road and 120 Bypass interchange that will create 100 jobs and generate $175,000 annually in sales tax.

*Additional development of existing employment centers elsewhere in Manteca added 227 jobs.

*There are 120 plus restaurants and dining options.

That was just some of the accomplishments the city has helped make possible in the last year or so and some of the new development that is moving forward.

And while Moorhead is at the forefront of efforts to bring more dining and shopping options to Manteca, she said that is not the key to enjoying living in Manteca.

“I moved here from San Jose in 1986,” she said. “I’ve met so many people. It’s like a family. Everyone is so friendly.”

While noting she wants to see more dining options and such, Moorhead said,“I moved here because it was a small town and not San Jose.”

The State of the City was staged by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Manteca.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com