River Islands at Lathrop is a planned community on a 4,800-acre (7.5 sq mi; 1,900 ha) site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Lathrop, California, United States.[1] As of 2024, approximately 3,500 homes of the Second-phase of 4,284 houses had been built.[2]
The developer is the Cambay Group of Walnut Creek, California which is an American subsidiary of Somerston Holdings Limited of the United Kingdom.[3] Plans call for the completion of 15,000 homes, a town center, business parks, and recreational areas over a 25-year development period.[3] In 2011, the developers stated construction of homes would not begin until late 2013 or early 2014 at the earliest."[1]
In October 2011, Banta Elementary School District approved the purchase of a 30-acre site within River Islands in Lathrop for construction of a k-8 charter school.[4] The 450-student technology school was proposed to open in August 2013 with an eventual expansion for a high school and college.[5]
In 2018, the Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority indicated its plan to run trains to River Islands as the Valley Link service's initial terminus.[6]
The project was initially proposed in 1996 as a "mega resort" called Gold Rush City with theme parks, golf courses and private homes.[7] After substantial criticism about building within a flood plain, the plan was changed to a planned community surrounded by wide levees.[7] these levees go by "Super levees", the district protecting part of Manteca, Lathrop east of the San Joaquín River, French Camp, and Stockton's Weston Ranch neighborhood is working toward a $270 million solution to upgrade to 200-year protection level as early as 2030.[8] Since being proposed in 2001, the development has been delayed several years due to lawsuits, concerns about flooding, environmental impact issues and a downturn in the housing market.[7][9] To address the issues of flooding, plans call for 18 miles (29 km) of 300-foot-wide (91 m) levees to surround the community.[10] In 2003, Cambay Group settled lawsuits by the Sierra Club by establishing an $8.2 million trust for the protection of local farmland.[7] In 2009, the development company stated that construction would be further delayed because of the downturn in the housing market.[3]
In 2024, The average home in River islands is looking at about $850,000 at base prices.