On Tuesday, development company California Forever announced details of its plan to dramatically expand Suisun City, a small settlement in Solano County, to create what its CEO and founder, Jan Sramek, described as “the next great American city.”
Newsweek contacted California Forever for comment on Wednesday via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
California has recorded a combined home value appreciation of $3.4 trillion since 2020, according to real-estate company Zillow, with an average house price of $763,288 in September, significantly above the national average.
This has sparked calls for more housing, with California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signing Senate Bill 79, which is intended to speed up the permitting process, into law.
What To Know
California Forever submitted plans on Tuesday to dramatically expand Suisun City over the next 50 years, increasing its population from 30,000 to 400,000 in what it is calling the Suisun Expansion Project.
Sramek said this would be “the next great American city” on X, though, unlike a previous proposal from California Forever to erect a new city, this version builds on an existing settlement.
The 250-page document submitted by California Forever shows the company’s plans for 16,000 acres of land it owns, including a 2,100-acre advanced manufacturing facility, dubbed the Solano Foundry, and a new shipbuilding complex.
In the first stage, up to 65,217 houses and the bulk of the Solano Foundry would be constructed, along with a new downtown and entertainment district. This would take place primarily on land west of Highway 113, with construction work beginning east of the highway around 2050 if everything goes to plan.
If approved, the Suisun Expansion Plan would see the new section of the city reach 15,000 residents around 2038, then 150,000 by 2048, with the full project not expected to be completed until 2071.
California Forever also said it would “protect and strengthen” the Travis Air Force Base by creating a new 5,726-acre ‘Travis Protection Zone’ next to it.
In 2024, California Forever said it wanted to construct a new settlement in unincorporated Solano County, but by deciding to expand Suisun City dramatically, the proposal could go through the traditional ministerial planning process, rather than requiring explicit voter approval.
California Forever has received backing from a number of wealthy figures, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, investor Marc Andreessen and Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs and founder of the Emerson Collective philanthropy group.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, Sramek said: “Today, California Forever submitted detailed plans for the next great American city, an hour north of Silicon Valley, including: Solano Foundry, America’s largest manufacturing park, Solano Shipyard, our largest shipyard, and walkable neighborhoods for 400,000 Californians.
“California used to do big things. From rockets in the Mojave to chips in Silicon Valley, California dreamed. California designed. California built. But then we stopped. To lead again, we need a place that can capture the imagination of the nation. Solano can be that place.”
According to local network KCRA 3, Suisun City Manager Bret Prebula commented: “We officially accepted their application for the Suisun Expansion Plan. This really begins the next part of our journey with them, which is to do a really detailed review of that specific plan, the area plan, and we begin the process to initiate the Environmental Impact report.”
What Happens Next
A community meeting regarding California Forever’s plan is scheduled for October 27 in Suisun City. Authorities in Suisun City have said they will review the plan and take the first steps towards an Environmental Impact Report.
Map showing the proposed new settlement produced by California Forever.
California Forever’s proposed expansion of Suisun City.
An artist’s rendering of buildings in the proposed expanded city produced by California Forever.