Proposed legislation aims to accelerate environmental reviews and major manufacturing investment
RIO VISTA, Calif. (Diablo Valley Times) — California Forever, the venture-backed development company seeking to build a new community in eastern Solano County, is asking state leaders to approve legislation that would accelerate environmental reviews and clear the way for a proposed shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing hub. Supporters argue the effort could bring billions of dollars in investment, strengthen California’s defense manufacturing sector and create thousands of jobs, while critics warn the proposal would sidestep local oversight and weaken long-standing environmental protections.
Top areas covered
California Forever’s proposed fast-track legislation
Planned shipyard and advanced manufacturing campus
Environmental review and CEQA concerns
Local opposition and annexation debate
Economic development and defense industry implications
History of the California Forever project
California Forever has spent years assembling tens of thousands of acres of farmland in eastern Solano County with the long-term goal of developing a master-planned community unlike any built in modern California. The latest proposal shifts much of the public focus from housing toward industrial development, with plans for a large shipbuilding facility and manufacturing center intended to attract defense and advanced technology companies.
Company representatives and supporters say the project has taken on new urgency because defense technology firm Saronic Technologies is evaluating locations in California and Texas for a future autonomous vessel manufacturing facility. Advocates contend California risks losing the investment unless permitting and environmental reviews can move more quickly.
To advance that effort, California Forever has retained former California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg to work with state officials on legislation intended to streamline the approval process.
Among the proposals being discussed are allowing portions of the development to qualify for California’s expedited judicial review process for major economic projects, limiting legal challenges to approximately nine months, relying on an existing environmental impact report for portions of the shipyard site, and allowing annexation into Suisun City if housing needed to support industrial development cannot be approved quickly through existing local governments.
Supporters say those measures would provide certainty for manufacturers considering California while helping address housing needs associated with future employment growth.
Economic opportunity versus environmental oversight
The proposal has divided elected officials, labor organizations and environmental advocates.
Building trades unions, construction industry groups, real estate organizations and several pro-housing advocates argue California needs to compete more aggressively for manufacturing investment, particularly in defense industries that have increasingly expanded outside the state. They point to the potential for thousands of construction jobs during development and long-term employment associated with manufacturing operations.
However, opponents question both the projected economic benefits and the process being proposed.
Environmental organizations and several local leaders argue that converting large areas of agricultural land into industrial facilities deserves a full, modern environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Critics contend relying on an environmental study completed in 2008 would not adequately evaluate the impacts of a substantially different project.
Questions have also been raised about whether autonomous vessel manufacturing would ultimately create the number of permanent jobs being promoted, given the industry’s reliance on automation and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Annexation proposal draws local concern
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal involves annexation into Suisun City.
If sufficient housing cannot be approved through existing jurisdictions quickly enough to satisfy prospective employers, legislation could allow portions of California Forever’s property to be annexed into Suisun City. Such a move would bypass Solano County’s voter-approved orderly growth protections that require countywide voter approval before significant development occurs on unincorporated agricultural land.
Supporters describe annexation as a last-resort option intended to avoid losing major employers.
Critics argue it would undermine local decision-making and the intent of Solano County voters who approved growth restrictions decades ago.
Project has evolved dramatically
California Forever’s vision has changed considerably since it first emerged publicly.
Beginning in 2018, subsidiary Flannery Associates quietly acquired approximately 62,000 acres of farmland throughout eastern Solano County. The company’s secrecy fueled widespread speculation until 2023, when its financial backers—including several prominent Silicon Valley investors—were publicly identified.
The original proposal centered on building a new walkable city featuring neighborhoods, parks, schools, bicycle infrastructure and mixed-use development capable of housing approximately 400,000 residents.
In 2024, California Forever introduced the East Solano Plan, which proposed rezoning roughly 17,500 acres for urban development. The measure faced significant opposition from residents, environmental groups and local officials. Following unfavorable polling and concerns raised by county staff, supporters withdrew plans to place the proposal before voters.
Since then, the project has shifted toward what is now being promoted as the Suisun Expansion Plan and Solano Shipyard, placing greater emphasis on industrial development, manufacturing and defense-related investment while continuing to include housing components.
Labor agreement strengthens political support
Earlier this year, California Forever announced a 40-year project labor agreement with the Napa/Solano Building Trades Council and the Northern California Carpenters Union.
The agreement brought influential labor organizations behind the project and strengthened California Forever’s political coalition as discussions with state officials intensified.
Construction advocates argue the development could become one of California’s largest economic development projects, while opponents maintain that the size and scope make thorough environmental review and public participation even more important.
Legislative discussions continue
State lawmakers have not yet introduced legislation to implement California Forever’s latest requests.
California Forever has continued meeting with state agencies and legislators while lobbying for measures intended to accelerate permitting and improve California’s competitiveness for manufacturing investment.
Meanwhile, local officials continue evaluating annexation proposals, and debate remains active over whether the project represents an unprecedented economic opportunity or an attempt to bypass established environmental review and local land-use authority.
The outcome is likely to shape not only the future of eastern Solano County but also California’s broader approach to balancing economic development, environmental protections and local control over major land-use decisions.
