- California Forever unveils plans for Solano Foundry, a 2,100-acre industrial park billed as the largest advanced manufacturing site in the US, aiming to attract defense, robotics, and energy companies.
- The project seeks to counter California’s manufacturing decline, with ambitions to bring back production of goods designed in Silicon Valley, including those with dual defense and civilian uses.
- Backed by billionaire tech investors, the master-planned community is seeking tenants and regulatory approvals, with construction on the industrial zone potentially starting in 2028.
A New Industrial Pitch
California Forever, a billionaire-backed project between San Francisco and Sacramento, shifts focus from housing development to industrial expansion, reports Bloomberg. On Thursday, the project’s leaders announced the Solano Foundry, a massive manufacturing park intended to reclaim California’s legacy in aerospace, shipbuilding, and defense tech.
A Manufacturing Comeback Story
Led by CEO Jan Sramek, the project’s vision is clear: reverse California’s decades-long deindustrialization and bring production back to a state known more for software than hardware. “It’s time that products designed in California were made in California,” Sramek said, pointing to lost opportunities as firms like SpaceX and Anduril moved operations out of state.
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The Scope And Scale
Spanning 2,100 acres, Solano Foundry will sit near Travis Air Force Base and future shipyard infrastructure. It promises proximity to Silicon Valley while offering lower-cost land, labor, and housing—a rare combination in the region. Developers are targeting sectors like defense, AI, robotics, and green energy, noting the increasing overlap between military and civilian innovation.
Tech Money, Not Real Estate Money
The development, funded by venture capital giants including Marc Andreessen, Mike Moritz, and Laurene Powell Jobs, is positioning itself as a Silicon Valley response to reshoring efforts. “We don’t have real estate investors. We have technology investors,” said Andreas Lieber, a former Pinterest and Postmates executive now leading industry efforts for California Forever.
Regulatory Road Ahead
The manufacturing park is a new chapter for the larger California Forever vision, which includes building 175K homes and creating 250K jobs. After public backlash shelved a 2023 plan to incorporate a new city, organizers now aim to annex the land into Suisun City. An environmental impact report is expected next year, with construction on the Foundry potentially beginning in 2028.
Long-Term Vision
Despite California’s permitting challenges and infrastructure delays, Sramek envisions a long-term transformation similar to Irvine’s planned development success. The full community buildout could take four decades. But the manufacturing park could be its first big move from concept to concrete.
Why It Matters
Amid growing bipartisan support for domestic manufacturing, California Forever may ultimately serve as a key test case for high-cost states. The project underscores the rising value of dual-use technology and reshoring amid geopolitical shifts and supply chain uncertainties.
What’s Next
California Forever is expected to announce its first industrial tenants within months, while leasing, managed by Jones Lang LaSalle, continues progressing. JLL has called Solano Foundry “one of California’s strongest opportunities to revitalize its manufacturing sector.”
