The intention to create a completely new city with a population of up to 400 thousand people was announced last summer. Then it became known that a group of wealthy and recognizable leaders in the tech world hoped to use land purchased outside San Francisco for its construction.
At the same time, it also became known that Flannery Associates spent $800 million to buy the land. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company had acquired about 52 thousand acres of land for development, most of which is agricultural land.
In the fall of 2023, more details about the project appeared - it was called California Forever and got its own website. It presented a plan for a city to be created in Solano County.
One of the problems with the project was that it became known relatively recently. Therefore, the intention to build a new city caused a rather strong reaction from politicians, farmers, and environmentalists.
According to a new report commissioned by Solano County, the full project will require tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. But it warns that the details of the project remain so vague that its full impact is difficult to assess.
While most large projects are often years in the making, the report notes that this project was submitted to the county only a few months after the public learned of its initiators' intentions.
The initiative, which was to be submitted to Solano County voters this year, will now be finalized. This year and next year are planned to be spent on preparing an environmental impact report. After that, in 2026, they will try to conclude an agreement with the county on the project.