What will the new year bring to Ceres?
A number of city public works projects and — keeping fingers crossed – a number of new commercial businesses if development kicks into gear.
Whether the Maverik station project becomes a reality in 2026 is in question given that a lawsuit is currently holding up development. The Maverik station project was approved by the Ceres Planning Commission in November 2024 and survived an appeal at the Ceres City Council level in August. But the project is being held up by a lawsuit filed by the competing businessman who lost his appeal.
The Sacramento law firm of Abbott & Kindermann is representing gas station owner Sunny Ghai, owner of the Popeye’s and Union 76 station on the west side of Mitchell Road, and charging that the city performed inadequate environmental review outlined in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). City planners say the lawsuit is merely a way to tie up the project since the Maverik property underwent studies as part the previously approved Ceres Gateway Center and the Mitchell Ranch Shopping Center projects.
“I believe we’re going to prevail,” predicted Ceres City Manager Doug Dunford. “It’s just going to take some time and all it does is delay the project which we badly need.”
The city wants Maverik to become a reality as it is expected to generate $629,000 annually in sales and use tax from the fuel sales, and around $41,000 in sales and use tax from the convenience store transactions. The purchase of construction materials within the region will exceed $500,000.
A slew of new businesses could come to Mitchell Road with the opening of two new shopping centers, one being the Nanak Plaza, a 14,010-square-foot commercial shopping center on Mitchell Road, looking for tenants.
Surgit Singh’s commercial shopping center consisting of five buildings at the northeast corner of Mitchell and Roeding roads is also undergoing construction. The project will front Mitchell Road north of an existing small retail center and partially wrap around behind it. The five commercial buildings will total 32,287 square feet, which include:
• An 8,567-square-foot building (of which 5,567 square feet restaurant use with the remaining 3,000 square feet designed for retail/office uses);
• Two separate retail/office buildings at 8,520 square feet and 9,600 square feet;
• Two fast-food restaurant pads with each building designed at 2,800 square feet in size and each having a drive-thru.
It’s conceivable that work could begin on the 81-unit senior assisted living facility to be constructed south of the Evanshire Mansion. The Evanshire Senior Living LLC project was approved in April.
Also approved but yet to submit building plans is the Dhillon Villas apartment complex which received a two-year extension in February. Dhillon Villas is proposed by Raj Dhillon of Tracy as a mixed use project consisting of a 145-unit three-story apartment complex and strip commercial project on 9.7 acres on Mitchell Road south of Della Drive. The two retail commercial buildings are proposed to be 15,230 and 13,782 square feet on three proposed parcels at 3106 Mitchell Road.
The site is the large mostly vacant parcel opposite the Stanislaus County Institute of Learning/Tactical Character Academy on Mitchell Road. Currently only a house, metal warehouse and truck operation occupy the site.
City Engineer Michael Beltran is busy with a number of capital projects that will improve some local roads and replace sewer infrastructure.
A major project will be the reconstruction of Crows Landing Road from Service Road to Whitmore Avenue. The project, pegged at $10 million to $12 million includes the installation of a sewer lift station and a sewer trunk main line. Beltran expects the project to go out to bid this summer. The sewer improvements will benefit all the development expected in the West Landing Annexation area.
Design work continues with the sewer treatment project improvements.
Another big project will be the complete reconstruction of Whitmore Avenue from Morgan Road to Crows Landing Road. Beltran said the project will possibly occur in the latter half of 2026 and will include widening to four lanes.
At mid-year will be a pavement grind and overlay project on Moffet Road from Whitmore Avenue to Hatch Road. Also, the sewer line down the street will be replaced.
Coming before the city will be the long awaited Copper Trails master plan. Beltran expects the Ceres Planning Commission to consider the application in February. Approval and annexation of approximately 534.6 acres in southwest Ceres would lead to development of:
• A housing mix of 293 acres, or 1,310 multi-family units and 2,325 single-family houses;
• 34 acres of regional commercial acres;
• 884,200 square feet of retail commercial;
• 383,910 square feet of office uses;
• 802,100 square feet of light industrial;
• 47 acres of parkland;
• 16 acres for schools.
The Copper Trails project is bordered by Service Road to the north, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Highway 99 and Mitchell Road to the east, the TID Lower Lateral No. 2 canal to the south, and Blaker Road to the west. The project area encompasses Central Valley High School, Hanline Elementary School, and Hidahl Elementary School along with rural homes and farmland.
