FAQ Archive

We are building a mixed-use, walkable city that draws on the city patterns familiar all across America. With a comfortable, human-scaled street grid, a network of local parks, and local shopping streets, it draws on the best tradition of American town planning. It’s not a utopia, but it is going to offer the option of walkable urbanism at a more affordable price point, which we think is pretty exciting.

We are building homes of all sizes and price points, all integrated into the same walkable neighborhoods. While our focus is on enabling homeownership, we will provide both for-sale and for-rent options.

The land is currently used for grazing, primarily. We intentionally located the new city on non-prime farmlands. The entire 15,000 acres that the new city would be located on contribute less than 2% of the total agricultural revenue of Solano County, based on information provided by Solano County in the official Livestock and Crop Reports from 2020-2022.

The proposed location avoids all habitat conservation areas including Suisun Marsh and the Jepson Prairie Preserve.

As shown in the map below, the project will be located in areas with the lowest ecological value (white) in the county, and not in areas with high ecological value (dark green) according to the draft Solano County Habitat Conservation Plan, prepared by SCWA (Solano County Water Agency).

We have secured a diversified water portfolio including groundwater and surface water rights sufficient to cover the full build out of the Solano Foundry and of Solano Living, including the full 40M SQFT of advanced manufacturing space and 175,000 new homes.

As part of the project approvals, we must demonstrate that we have sufficient water supply through the rigorous, state-mandated process of Water Supply Assessment and Water Supply Verification. This process is regulated by the State of California, and requires us to prove that we have rights to actual water we can deliver to households and employers, for decades going forward, including during drought periods, without interfering with water supplies that others rely on.

Because there are no forests neighboring the new city, the only fire risk is from grass fires. The surrounding grasslands have historically been grazed or otherwise harvested, which reduces and eliminates the threat. In addition to these land management practices being expected to continue, out of an abundance of caution we are designing a fire protection buffer around the entire area separating it from the adjacent grasslands by at least 200 feet. This will result in the city being one of the most fire-safe locations in California.

Homes are either designed so that homeowners can build a garage at the back of their lot, or have access to community parking garages in the neighborhood. All we are trying to do is to provide alternative options for trips when walking, biking, or taking transit are both easier and more fun. But if you really need or want to drive, you can!

Yes, and far more accessible than traditional suburban subdivisions. Residents and visitors will traverse smooth and safe streets without curbs from their ground-floor accessible homes to grocery stores, parks, and shops within minutes.

This will be an ideal city to live independently, without reliance on a car or a driver. Those are available if desired, but they may not be needed when life’s amenities are available by a short, accessible trip around the corner.

We have secured a diversified water portfolio including groundwater and surface water rights sufficient to cover the full build out of the Solano Foundry and of Solano Living, including the full 40M SQFT of advanced manufacturing space and 175,000 new homes.

As part of the project approvals, we must demonstrate that we have sufficient water supply through the rigorous, state-mandated process of Water Supply Assessment and Water Supply Verification. This process is regulated by the State of California, and requires us to prove that we have rights to actual water we can deliver to households and employers, for decades going forward, including during drought periods, without interfering with water supplies that others rely on.

The Solano Foundry is a 2,100-acre master-planned advanced manufacturing park located in Solano County. It is designed to be the largest facility of its kind in the United States, providing entitlements for up to 40M sq ft of industrial space to support companies scaling from pilot lines to full mass production.

The Solano Foundry is focused on five core verticals: Robotics & AI Hardware, Built Environment, Advanced Transportation, Energy, and Aerospace & Defense.

We anticipate securing full entitlements and breaking ground in 2028. Our goal is to have pad-ready sites and speculative space available to meet tenant demand by 2029 at the latest. However, due to interest from companies wanting to come to the Solano Foundry but needing a way to break ground earlier, discussions are under way about a streamlined permitting pathway that would significantly accelerate this timeline.

Solano Foundry allows companies to reap the benefits of manufacturing in California, such as labor force and proximity to SF/Silicon Valley, while solving California’s biggest challenges. Specifically, by pre-entitling the entire zone, we offer a ministerial, “over-the-counter” permitting process that provides the same speed and certainty as timelines in Texas or Arizona. More over, Solano Living provides ample high quality workforce housing nearby.

Yes. The broader Northern California megaregion is home to nearly 12 million people. Within 60 minute commute of Solano Foundry, there are nearly 2.2 million workers in the labor force. Locally, over 100,000 Solano County residents commute daily to other parts of the the region for work. Solano Foundry offers many of them a chance to work closer to home.

To maximize operational flexibility and expansion potential, we offer a comprehensive range of real estate products and transaction structures designed to support companies from small scale R&D to mass production beyond 1M sqft facility size.

Solano Foundry creates a vertically integrated supply chain for the nearby Solano Shipyard. Manufacturers at Solano Foundry can produce the components, materials, and systems needed for shipbuilding, creating a mutually reinforcing industrial ecosystem.

Once the master plan is entitled, individual projects that conform to the applicable standards will undergo a streamlined review process, allowing permits to be issued in months rather than years. This eliminates the discretionary risk typical of development in California.

Yes. Solano Foundry is part of a broader plan that includes a new walkable city with 175,000 homes. The city will provide diverse housing options, schools, and amenities, ensuring that employees at all income levels can afford to live near their workplace.

The site is served by Highways 12 and 113, which would be upgraded as part of the build out. We are also exploring heavy-haul corridors to connect directly with Travis Air Force Base and the deep-water channel.

Yes. Our proximity to Travis Air Force Base (approx. 5 miles away) makes Solano Foundry ideal for aerospace and defense contractors. We are designing the site to accommodate secure facilities and dual-use technology development.

We are offering attractive terms for Phase 1 tenants, including favorable land costs and “white glove” planning support to ensure rapid facility deployment.

At 7,500 acres, the Solano Shipyard is large enough to be a shipbuilding complex – a collection of many separate shipyards. These shipyards could be involved in different activities, in both naval and commercial shipbuilding, and/or ship repair. Depending on preferences and needs of the tenant shipbuilders, the complex could be equipped with shared infrastructure, such as waterfront infrastructure, dry docks, and ship lifts or cranes.

California Forever is currently in discussions with a variety of traditional and emerging shipbuilders, both domestic and from our allied nations, who are considering building their yards at the Solano Shipyard.

California Forever is the master developer – we own the land, are working with shipbuilders to master plan the site, and would developer the key infrastructure, including road access, potentially rail, water and wastewater, as well as access to backbone power, gas, and fibre infrastructure. In addition, the Solano Foundry would provide a location for suppliers, and Solano Living an amazing place for workers to live nearby.