River Islands is moving toward developing the South County’s newest town center.

And in doing so, it will wed housing, extensive recreational amenities, retail, and office uses into what is designed to re-enforce a sense of community in the 15,001-home planned development.

The Lathrop Planning Commission will meet Wednesday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at the Lathrop City Hall, 390 Towne Center Drive to review the River Islands own Center neighborhood design plan.

It is one of three eventual town or village centers that will be part of the planned community.

A second town center is envisioned adjoining where the River Islands High campus is now under construction and adjacent to where the 990-home Del Webb neighborhood has broken ground.

The third will be a transit village along the Union Pacific tracks on the southern portion of the community where a business park is planned.

The basic concept is not only to create a community hub, but to also establish a town center neighborhood.

There will be 339,668 square feet of commercial and office — roughly 2.5 times the footprint of the 135,903-square-foot Lathrop Target store — intermixed with 668 living units.

The housing includes:

*80 apartments incorporated with mixed use commercial.

*210 “walk-up” townhouses that are typically three or four story housing units much like you will find ear downtown Livermore.

*378 units in more traditional apartment complexes.

Cambay Group — the developer of River Islands — will retain ownership of the apartments.

Having 668 living units integrated with commercial uses along with recreational amenities is designed to make the town center neighborhood walkable for those that reside there.

A stadium that River Islands will use for home football games will be under the control of a private entity just like the Islanders baseball field and adjoining soccer complex.

As such, they are designed to be employed for a variety of community uses that could range from concerts and car shows to festivals and more.

The Lathrop Polce Department headquarters is also part of the town center.

There will be two manmade lakes.

River Islands President Susan Dell’Osso has noted in the past that the goal is to lure restaurants that can offer lakeside dining among other uses.

There are no “box-style” commercial endeavors envisioned for the town center.

With the close proximity of the stadium and baseball field, such a design lends itself to attendees of the games to walk to nearby restaurants before or after games.

The idea of a town center stadium was inspired by Dell’Osso’s high school days in Southern California where high school games were played at a community college stadium on top of a commercial area.

Classmates — and family of players as well as others attending —  would often walk to restaurants after games to dine.

There will also be two community parks in the town center neighborhood.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com