California Forever billionaires drastically scale back Bay Area mega-city plans — only to get rejected

California Forever’s billionaire backers have drastically scaled back their grand plans for a new Bay Area metropolis, temporarily shelving their proposed megacity to focus an 11th-hour Sacramento push on fast-tracking a massive shipyard.

But the scaled-back plan suffered another setback Tuesday night when Solano County supervisors voted not to support the special legislation after a contentious five-hour meeting.

The narrower “Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act” would accelerate approvals for a proposed 1,350-acre shipyard and maritime manufacturing hub in Solano County, while seeking no special treatment for the sprawling new city that has been the centerpiece of California Forever’s vision.

Special legislation to build a shipyard in Solano County near Collinsville has sparked a massive fight.

The vote dealt a political blow to the billionaire-backed developer, which has spent months hunting for a legislative lifeline in Sacramento while encountering fierce local resistance and skepticism from two Democratic lawmakers representing the area.

During the meeting Tuesday, supervisors heard a gauntlet of speakers slam or support the shipyard proposal as negotiations in Sacramento continue in the frantic final days of the legislative session.

Some public speakers sang songs, including a man who pulled stuffed animal weasels out of his vest. Others talked about the need for more jobs.

A speaker opposing the California Forever project pulls one of many stuffed animal weasels out of his vest.

Jeff Deiss, a Vallejo resident, called the proposal a “sweetheart deal.”

“The only thing unique about this is the deep pockets of the people that are promoting it,” Deiss said.

Supporters countered that Solano County should seize an opportunity to attract thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs.

California Forever’s plans include manufacturing that is unrelated to the legislation on a shipyard. California Forever

Selena Perez, a local veteran and Solano County resident, offered supervisors what she called some “millennial wisdom.”

“Scared money don’t make money,” Perez said. “Let’s be bold for Solano County.”

An illustration shows a public space in California Forever’s proposed megacity. California Forever

The still-unauthored bill does not apply to California Forever’s separate proposed megacity or provide special approvals for its development.

The legislation would fast-track approvals for a shipyard and maritime manufacturing hub, including streamlined environmental review and permitting. It comes after the shipyard effort suffered a setback when defense startup Saronic chose Brownsville, Texas, over Solano County for its planned $3.2 billion Port Alpha complex.

Renderings by California Forever show a vibrant public space. California Forever

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson and state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, two Democrats representing the area, are engaged in the negotiations, but neither has publicly committed to carrying the legislation despite a Sacramento Bee report that cited sources saying they are on board.

State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon has sparred with California Forever officials while supporting a proposed shipyard. AP
Assemblymember Lori Wilson has been coy about whether she will support state legislation. AP

Wilson’s office told The California Post that she expects the proposal — if it moves forward — to appear in a trailer bill, legislation typically used to quickly enact policy changes tied to the state budget.

Cabaldon’s office said the latest proposal is consistent with his support for shipbuilding because it has been stripped of California Forever’s controversial proposed city.

Cabaldon ripped California Forever officials after he was blamed for Saronic choosing Texas for its shipyard. Cabaldon for Senate

“The language for the bill is very narrow and does not include the proposed city,” Beth Rimbey, a spokesperson for Cabaldon’s office, told The Post in an email. “The senator has always supported shipbuilding and jobs.”

She added, “Who is going to front the bill is also still TBD.”

Tuesday’s vote could further complicate California Forever’s long-running push for a Sacramento breakthrough. Last year, Wilson and Cabaldon indicated they would not pursue an earlier shipyard bill without support from county elected officials.

Gov. Gavin Newsom quietly met with California Forever officials in April. Anadolu via Getty Images

The Post revealed in July that California Forever CEO Jan Sramek quietly met with Newsom on April 1 in the governor’s office. Following that meeting, Newsom’s economic development chief, Dee Dee Myers, urged state officials to support the proposed shipyard and manufacturing hub as opportunities of “statewide significance” and “national security.”

Meanwhile, California Forever enlisted former Democratic legislative leaders Darrell Steinberg and Bob Hertzberg as part of a six-figure lobbying push.

Jan Sramek, founder and chief executive officer of California Forever, has been working on the project for a decade. Bloomberg via Getty Images

California Forever is backed by a who’s-who roster of Silicon Valley billionaires, including Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Michael Moritz and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison.

Officials behind the project did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Earlier this month, The Post revealed that California Forever had been holding weekly meetings with Solano County officials over the proposed shipyard but had never submitted even a preliminary application needed to begin the local approval process.


Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!


“There was nothing submitted, so this never happened,” Debbie Vaughn, Solano County’s assistant county administrator, told The Post.

“I don’t know how else to say it. There was never a project submitted.”

Renderings by California Forever show businesses and housing for a proposed city. California Forever
A rendering of the California Forever proposal shows a lush park filled with families enjoying the green space. California Forever

County officials said they had offered California Forever an expedited conventional approval process. The developer countered that the timeline and possibility of years of litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act made that option unappealing.

The newly drafted legislation would create a special approval process to allow qualifying shipyard and manufacturing projects to rely on Solano County’s 2008 environmental review, largely eliminating the need for additional review under CEQA.

While the Board of Supervisors has no power to pass or kill the state legislation, Tuesday’s vote formally denied California Forever the local support its legislative push had sought. The scaled-back proposal now faces an uphill climb with the legislative session set to end Aug. 31.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *