Starting back in 2017, a secretive group was purchasing 60,000 acres of farmland in rural Solano County, sparking fears of foreign influence near Travis Air Force Base. As The New York Times’ Conor Dougherty discovered, the truth was even more intriguing: a who’s-who of Silicon Valley elites, including Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Marc Andreessen, were behind the acquisitions.
Within hours of Dougherty’s revelation, the mysterious company launched a website and identified itself as California Forever, unveiling an ambitious plan to build a city for up to 400,000 residents. Led by Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader, the project aims to create a walkable city reminiscent of Savannah or Philadelphia, offering middle-class affordability.
California Forever announced initiatives to create 15,000 well-paid jobs in Solano County over the next decade, including thousands of jobs in solar energy. The East Solano Plan promises 15,000 local jobs with salaries over $88,000 annually, a $200 million investment in revitalizing downtowns, and $500 million in community benefits such as down payment assistance, scholarships, and small business grants.
Despite the ambitious vision, the project’s future depends on Solano County voters, who will decide in November whether to overturn a three-decades-old law restricting new development. Many locals remain skeptical, fearing the impact on their communities and lifestyles.
Al Medvitz and Jeannie McCormack, among the last holdouts, have resisted selling their 3,700-acre ranch, which has been in Jeannie’s family for over a century. California Forever has faced resistance from other landowners and legal challenges, accusing them of colluding to raise land prices—a charge they deny.
The motivations behind California Forever go beyond profit. Dougherty suggests the project’s backers are frustrated by the slow pace of physical development compared to the digital world. They see an opportunity to redesign urban environments from scratch, free from inherited problems.
Despite numerous hurdles, Sramek is optimistic about the project’s success. He envisions Solano County becoming an economic success story that other regions might replicate. If approved, the land bought will receive a significant valuation boost making a formidable financial investment for the already purchased properties.