Suisun City transfers downtown properties to California Forever as part of revitalization plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A plan to revitalize downtown Suisun City is moving forward after the city transferred three properties to California Forever, the billionaire-backed developer pursuing a much larger project in Solano County.
The properties include 707 Main St. and two downtown parking lots. The transaction is the first part of a $1.5 million purchase agreement that also includes the adjacent historic Lawler House and Suisun Harbor Theatre, both of which closed during the 2010s.
City officials said the redevelopment could bring businesses, housing and entertainment to waterfront properties that have been vacant or underused for years.
Empty storefronts, aging buildings and quiet streets currently define parts of downtown despite its waterfront location.
“A lot of people don’t really come down here because of the homeless situation or the drug situation or things like that,” said Richie Kalsi, who frequents the area.
Kalsi pointed to the shuttered Suisun Harbor Theatre as an example of the area’s vacant properties.
“There’s an unutilized movie theater right here. It’s abandoned. There’s a lot of abandoned spaces here,” Kalsi said. “So, to bring vibrancy and progression and dynamism to an area would be great.”
Suisun City Manager Bret Prebula said some downtown properties have gone unused for at least a decade.
“They’re eyesores,” Prebula said. “They’re deterrents to the businesses that are trying to thrive near them.”
Under the deal, California Forever has completed its purchase of 707 Main St. and the two parking lots. The city will lease the lots back for $1 per year, allowing them to remain available for public parking while redevelopment plans move forward.
Prebula said California Forever has committed to protecting established downtown businesses from displacement as it develops its plans.
“They have made a commitment to not gentrify any of the key businesses that we have downtown,” Prebula said.
The city views the private investment as a way to redevelop properties it has been unable to revive on its own, Prebula said.
“We essentially now are going to have a player that’s funded enough to be able to revitalize things that have sat dead for, like I said, almost a decade,” he said.
The sale has drawn mixed reactions. Some local business owners told KCRA 3 off camera that they oppose selling downtown property to California Forever. Other people, including Kalsi, said private investment may be necessary when public resources are limited.
“When the state resources aren’t there, maybe it does take private owners and private billionaires and private citizens to band together and say, ‘OK, we see a need, an opportunity. Let’s fix things,’” Kalsi said.
Any major changes remain years away. Prebula said the project could go before the Suisun City Planning Commission in late 2027 or early 2028.
The downtown redevelopment is separate from California Forever’s larger proposal to expand Suisun City, according to Prebula. He said the developer’s downtown obligations would remain in place even if the broader expansion proposal is not approved.
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