Lathrop, California is rising fast on the radar of regional and national retailers. In this episode of Capital Rivers Connect: California Edition, listeners get a front-row seat to how this Central Valley city is shaping its growth strategy. Executive Vice President Matthew Tate welcomes Shelly Burcham, the City of Lathrop‘s seasoned Economic Development Administrator, for a rich discussion on how her decades of experience and regional collaboration are paying off in real time. From Tesla to Sam’s Club, major players are betting on Lathrop, and the city is making sure they stay. This episode highlights Lathrop retail opportunities and how they are helping businesses grow.
Regional Collaboration as a Growth Strategy
Shelly Burcham’s career-long emphasis on regionalism is a core theme of the episode. Drawing from her work with the San Joaquin Partnership and Team California, she highlights the importance of cooperation between cities like Tracy, Stockton, and Manteca. These partnerships allow cities to pool resources and attract major employers to the broader area before distinguishing their own unique advantages. Burcham recounts instances where regional thinking led to win-win scenarios, including cross-city referrals that resulted in significant job creation.
Why Lathrop Retail Opportunities Are Gaining Attention
With a surge in residential development and a strategic location along I-5 and Highway 120, Lathrop offers key advantages to retailers. River Islands, the city’s premier master-planned community, has created a population boom, fueling demand for commercial services. Burcham explains that Lathrop doesn’t just have available land; it also offers a business-friendly environment with fast-tracked permitting and a collaborative city staff, many of whom bring private-sector experience to their roles.
Tesla, Sam’s Club, and the Power of Long-Term Relationships
Tesla’s footprint in Lathrop is no accident. The city began working with Tesla as early as 2014, and today hosts several of its operations, including the production of its utility-scale Megapack batteries. Sam’s Club has more recently announced plans to open a location in Lathrop, signaling further momentum. Burcham attributes these successes to the city’s responsiveness and long-term relationship-building. With 3 million square feet of Tesla-occupied space and over 3,000 local jobs, Lathrop’s approach is clearly working.
Business-Friendly and Incentive-Ready
Lathrop has rolled out a retail incentive program designed to attract and retain high-quality businesses. The program offers financial support such as capital facility fee offsets up to $250,000 per project. The city has already allocated $1 million to the program, signaling serious commitment to commercial growth. These incentives are particularly attractive to restaurants, banks, and entertainment venues, sectors that residents are demanding as the population grows.
Preparing for ICSC and Beyond
As Burcham gears up for her final ICSC trade show appearance, she emphasizes the importance of preparation, storytelling, and streamlined communication. With only minutes to pitch a city to major retailers, knowing what matters most to decision-makers is key. For Lathrop, that means highlighting infrastructure, demographics, and above all, speed to market.
Listen to the full episode of Capital Rivers Connect to learn more about Lathrop’s strategic growth, retail incentives, and development-ready environment.
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Photo Credit: Slamslam102 at the English-language Wikipedia