California Forever
TypePrivate
IndustryReal estate development
Founded2017
FounderJan Sramek
ParentFlannery Associates
Websitecaliforniaforever.com

California Forever is an American corporation founded by Jan Sramek, and owned by Flannery Associates. In August 2023, the company announced plans to build a new walkable city of 50,000 people in southeastern Solano County, near the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The project's investors are primarily Silicon Valley billionaires.

History

The company California Forever was founded by Jan Sramek in 2017. Sramek is also CEO of California Forever's parent company Flannery Associates.[1] 97% of the company's funding comes from American investors, with the remaining 3% coming from British and Irish investors.[2] The company's backers include numerous Silicon Valley investors such as Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, and Marc Andreessen.[3]

The development of the project was described as a five-year "stealth campaign" by the The Real Deal.[4] During that time, the company and its investors purchased 50,000 acres of land in Solano County, California for an estimated $900 million.[5] The company's website claimed that the project was kept secret to prevent speculation from driving up real estate prices.[1] The secrecy surrounding these acquisitions led to widespread media speculation.[6]

The land is currently zoned for agricultural use only and is subject to slow-growth laws.[7] Due to these legal protections, the land can only be developed for urban use if a ballot initiative is passed by local voters. In August 2023, the company issued a mail-in poll to gauge support for the project among local residents.[8]

After its announcement, state and federal officials expressed concern over the proposed city's proximity to the Travis Air Force Base, citing potential security risks.[9] The project has received opposition from local ranchers, who accused the company of canceling long-standing foraging leases and suing local ranch owners who refused to sell their property.[10]

Planned development

The site is located approximately 60 miles northeast of San Francisco.[6] Its planned size would include a population of approximately 75,000 residents over a land area about twice the size of San Francisco.[7] The proposed city would include residential homes, a solar farm and public parks.[11] Part of these plans include the renovation of Highway 12 and the North Bay Aqueduct.[12][13]

The original architectural designs for the city, released on the company's website, showed Mediterranean architecture and streetcar infrastructure.[4] It is supposed to have a comparable level of walkability as cities such as New York City and Paris.[6] The designs were criticized by some news publications as lacking detail and being unrealistic,[14] and were compared to the futuristic city of The Jetsons.[15]

The project has received widespread criticism from local residents and officials.[16][17] Critics of the planned development have noted the lack of a reliable water supply and presence of wind farms as a potential obstacle to urban development.[7] Catherine Moy, the mayor of Fairfield, California, stated that the lack of mass transit, inadequate highway access, and drought conditions in the area would make it difficult to support a city.[11] Its potential impact on neighboring communities in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta has also been cited as a potential drawback.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Company behind Solano County land grab says 2008 law will decide 'California Forever'". abc10.com. September 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  2. ↑ Robles, Sergio (2023-09-02). "California Forever, the company behind land purchases in Solano County". The Hill. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  3. ↑ Har, Janie (September 1, 2023). "Billionaires want to build a new city in rural California. They must convince voters first". ABC News. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Staff, T. R. D. (2023-09-03). "California Forever: Billionaire-Backed Utopian Plans Unveiled". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  5. ↑ "The Botched Reveal of California Forever". The Information. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  6. 1 2 3 Dougherty, Conor; Griffith, Erin (August 25, 2023). "The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Nolte, Carl (2023-09-09). "Why the California Forever dream of a new city would be a nightmare". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  8. ↑ "'California Forever': Billionaires want to build a new city in Solano County. It'll be up to voters". KCRA. 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  9. ↑ "'California Forever': Company behind land purchases near Travis Air Force Base launches website, details plans". Fox 59. 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  10. ↑ "Ranchers decry 'arrogant' Silicon Valley billionaires buying up land for 'fantasy' city near San Francisco: 'We are now totally surrounded'". Fortune.
  11. 1 2 "Tech titans' vision for a new city in Northern California raises concerns". France 24. September 3, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Silicon Valley Elites Show Off Renderings of Exclusive New City They Want to Build in the Bay Area". Gizmodo. September 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Silicon Valley elites revealed as investors behind $800M land grab".
  14. ↑ King, John (2023-09-01). "Here's everything that's wrong with renderings of new California city fueled by tech money". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  15. ↑ "The Botched Reveal of California Forever". The Information. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  16. ↑ Anguiano, Dani (2023-09-02). "Plan for 55,000-acre utopia dreamed by Silicon Valley elites unveiled". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  17. ↑ Davis, Wes (2023-09-03). "'California Forever' website touts the city tech billionaires are trying to build". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
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