Large-scale food truck court, family entertainment park planned off downtown Turlock
Al fresco food, fun and families could soon come together in a planned outdoor food truck and entertainment park just off downtown Turlock.
Plans were submitted last month to develop a 3-acre site that takes up about half a block between South Center Street and South Golden State Boulevard just off F Street.
The new project would include an open-air food truck court, permanent vendor spaces, a beer garden, covered and uncovered picnic areas, a game arcade, an entertainment stage, a public marketplace and a commissary for vendor food preparation.
Torre Reich, of Torre Reich Construction, is spearheading the Trax Food Park development as owner and contractor. With his team, he hopes to turn it into magnet for local families and more.
“We’re trying to make it kind of an all-for-one family entertainment destination,” said Jenn Weenk, the project coordinator and cost estimator. “It’ll be a place where you can come grab lunch, where the kids can play games, where everyone can enjoy being outside.”
The location, in an industrial area to the south of the downtown hub, would be converted into a large food park with shipping containers providing permanent structures and vendor spaces.
The existing 13,600-square-foot warehouse facing South Center Street would be renovated to largely become the on-site commissary, providing a commercial kitchen for the food truck vendors to use instead of having to go off site each night.
The project would incorporate two existing lots, both owned by members of the Hilmar Cheese founding Ahlem family, and the other structures would be torn down to make way for the food park.
The project was submitted to the city’s Planning Division early last month. A public hearing with the Planning Commission is set for May 5, and Weenk said if things go smoothly, they hope to begin work soon after. She estimates construction would take around six months, so they have hopes for a late 2022 opening.
Weenk said the idea for the project was to create a “south gateway to downtown Turlock,” with a focus on family entertainment. Its name Trax comes from its proximity to area railways which serve the area’s ag and other commercial businesses.
“There’s a need in Turlock in general to have something like this. We don’t really have any large outdoor family friendly facilities,” she said. “I think Turlock just kind of lacks something like this overall.”
Once completed, the food court would be able to fit at least 20 food trucks. Weenk said they are aiming for a diverse array of food options, from those offering full lunch and dinner to appetizers, desserts, specialty drinks and more.
The site also will have permanent shipping container spaces for about a dozen other retail or food vendors. The team is creating a mix of about 200 covered and uncovered dining spaces, and areas can be rented for private events. They also envision a market area, set up similarly to a farmers market, where the public and vendors can purchase local products.
Weenk said they hope to have permits approved by the public hearing May 5 to be able to move forward with construction soon. They plan to operate the park seven days a week, staying open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on weekends.
Once completed, the food park would be considerably larger than Modesto’s popular Grub Hub food truck court, which opened downtown in May 2019 and has been a consistent draw since.
