California Forever’s reduced city plan rejected despite major changes

What is California Forever?

A group of wealthy Silicon Valley billionaires had a massive dream. They wanted to build an entire new city from scratch in rural Solano County, California. The project is called California Forever.

These tech investors include famous names like Marc Andreessen and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. They spent years secretly buying up land for their grand vision of a futuristic metropolis.

The original megacity dream

The original California Forever plan was enormous. Developers envisioned a walkable city for as many as 400,000 people on thousands of acres in Solano County. Renderings featured European-inspired architecture, parks, shops, housing, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

The broader plan also included major clean-energy development, including proposed solar generation. But the project faced substantial resistance from residents, environmental groups, and local officials, contributing to the withdrawal of its original 2024 ballot initiative.

California Forever scales back

California Forever narrowed its immediate Sacramento push in August to legislation focused on a 1,350-acre shipyard and maritime manufacturing site. The proposed Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act did not include special approvals for the company’s broader city and housing development.

The larger vision has not disappeared. California Forever is still pursuing its Suisun Expansion Plan, which includes housing, commercial development, manufacturing, and a long-term city planned for hundreds of thousands of residents.

County supervisors say no

On August 25, 2026, the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 against supporting the California Forever shipyard legislation. The meeting lasted five hours with passionate arguments on both sides.

Some people sang songs and pulled out stuffed animal weasels to mock the proposal. Others begged for jobs and economic opportunities. In the end, supervisors said the rushed timeline and environmental concerns were too big to ignore.

Fun fact: About 200 people showed up to the meeting in downtown Fairfield. Many wore bright pink T-shirts and buttons identifying with the Solano Together group that opposes California Forever’s development.

Governor Newsom weighs in

Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the county’s decision and told reporters he would have voted for the proposal “in a nanosecond” if he were a supervisor. He argued that Solano County needs economic development and well-paying union jobs.

Newsom warned that “delay can be denial” when communities are competing for major investments. He also pointed to Solano County’s high unemployment and recent job losses as reasons to move more quickly on economic-development opportunities.

Fun fact: Solano County has the highest unemployment rate in the Bay Area and has recently been hit by major job losses, including the Anheuser-Busch brewery closure, the shutdown of Mare Island Dry Dock, and layoffs affecting corporate positions at Jelly Belly in Fairfield.

What would the shipyard bill do?

The proposed legislation aimed to fast-track environmental reviews for a 1,350-acre shipyard site along the Delta. Developers could use an old 2008 environmental report instead of starting from scratch. This would save years of paperwork and potential lawsuits.

The bill didn’t include any housing or the original megacity plan. California Forever’s supporters said it was just about jobs and manufacturing. Opponents called it a sweetheart deal for billionaires.

Who are the billionaire backers?

California Forever is backed by prominent technology investors, including venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison.

The company began acquiring Solano County land in 2018 through Flannery Associates without publicly disclosing its broader development plans or investor group. The project became public in 2023, after years of secretive land purchases had already generated concern and speculation among local residents.

The shipbuilder that got away

California Forever’s shipyard push suffered a major blow when defense startup Saronic Technologies chose Texas over Solano County. The company picked Brownsville for its planned $3.2 billion Port Alpha complex instead. That was a huge loss for California.

Officials worried that without fast-track legislation, more companies would choose other states. California Forever argued that every month of delay meant losing more business opportunities. But critics said the rushed timeline wasn’t worth cutting environmental corners.

Local opposition gets creative

Opponents of California Forever showed up in force at the county meeting. One speaker pulled stuffed animal weasels out of his vest while singing protest songs. Others wore bright pink shirts identifying themselves with the Solano Together opposition group.

Residents said they didn’t want billionaires bypassing environmental laws. Many were upset that county leaders felt pressured to decide quickly without proper community input. The opposition wasn’t just about this one shipyard; it was about protecting local control.

Supporters plead for jobs

Not everyone opposed the shipyard proposal. More than two dozen people spoke in favor, emphasizing the need for well-paying jobs in Solano County. Union pipefitter John Kowalski said one of his sons lost his job when the Fairfield Budweiser plant closed and now commutes to San Jose for work.

Supporters argued that the county needs to be bolder about attracting employers. Local veteran Selena Perez offered what she called “Millennial wisdom,” telling supervisors, “Scared money don’t make money.” The job arguments ultimately were not enough to win majority support.

What happens to the megacity now?

California Forever’s broader city plan is still moving through planning and environmental review. Its current Suisun Expansion Plan includes housing, employment centers, commercial development, and a long-term population of roughly 400,000 people.

The August 25 vote stalled the special legislative effort to fast-track the Solano Shipyard this year, but it did not end the broader California Forever project. The company continues to promote its housing, manufacturing, and shipyard plans while pursuing the approvals needed for development.

Environmental concerns raised

Environmental groups strongly opposed relying on an environmental review completed in 2008 for a new shipbuilding development. Opponents argued that current conditions and the potential effects of dredging, industrial development, water use, and wildlife impacts deserved updated scrutiny.

Save The Bay policy associate Lucía Muñoz said allowing dredging for a shipyard without requiring a new environmental impact report would “set a terrible precedent.” Environmental concerns joined objections about the rushed timeline, local control, labor protections, and tribal consultation during the debate.

If you’re curious about how California is shaping its future in other ways, check out how free transitional kindergarten expands across California schools.

What’s next for California Forever?

California Forever head of public affairs Jim Wunderman criticized the county’s decision, saying supervisors “punted” an opportunity to advance the project. The 2026 legislative session ended August 31 without the proposed Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act moving forward.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson said she expects discussions with Solano County to resume ahead of the next legislative session, and several supervisors have indicated they are willing to revisit a revised proposal. California Forever also continues pursuing its broader housing, manufacturing, and shipyard plans through other approval processes.

If you want to stay in the know about what’s happening in neighborhoods throughout the state, check out how a California family market was targeted in a looting incident.

What do you think about California Forever’s big setback? Is the county right to pump the brakes, or should they take a chance on those jobs? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and if you found this update interesting, give it a thumbs up.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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