California Forever CEO Jan Sramek has returned to a familiar tactic in his efforts to avoid the Solano County ballot and build his billionaire-backed pop-up city. Once again, he is throwing large sums of money at the problem.
Last week, Suisun City Manager Bret Prebula presented a letter to the city council in which California Forever offered to purchase $1.5 million of city-owned properties and provide a one-time grant of $55,000 to cover community events. Not long before, the small city announced that an ongoing structural deficit shortfall could precipitate cuts to popular programs like a Sunday jazz concert series.
“In light of the city’s current financial challenges, we wanted to offer the option of accelerating our investment in Suisun’s downtown, if that would be helpful,” Sramek wrote in the letter. “Our goal would be to not just buy the properties, but to immediately begin the process of working with you, city staff, and the Suisun community to design something wonderful.”
The offer is one of the first tangible investments in Suisun City since its leadership announced a potential partnership with California Forever that would expand its boundary to include more than 10,000 acres of land owned by the developer. After failing to garner enough support to win at the ballot, Sramek turned his attention in January to the possibility of annexation by the financially struggling Suisun City. That strategic pivot shocked Solano County residents as a potential end-run around voters — but it’s also California Forever’s last, best chance to avoid another initiative.
“Their offer is more than a transaction — it’s a signal that California Forever is not just investing in the land, they are investing in the people, the culture and the long-term vibrancy of Suisun City,” Prebula said in a statement.
But the proposed purchase plan drew opposition that evoked the rhetoric surrounding last summer’s initiative campaign, when Sramek and California Forever promised new hospitals, sports fields and even a water park as part of an unsuccessful effort to convince voters to approve the company’s plan for a new 400,000-person city in the county.
“I feel that they haven’t followed through with anything they’ve said,” said Michelle Trippi, an opponent of the project who helped create a popular online opposition group called California ForNever. “I think it’s dangerous and what they’re doing affects the whole county.”
Suisun has asked for at least a $500,000 payout from California Forever in exchange for annexing their land. Neighboring cities, including Rio Vista, have also said they would explore the possibility of annexing unincorporated land to facilitate the project.
According to Prebula, the buildings in question are an old theater requiring more than a million dollars worth of work; a “dilapidated” Main Street brick structure that would likely need to be torn down; and the Lawler House, a historic home and former art gallery in need of repairs and an updated electrical system. All have been in various states of disrepair for years.
While the purchase could help build goodwill in Suisun City and pave the way for an annexation deal, it could also help California Forever counter arguments from opponents who have long said the company should focus on developing Solano’s existing downtowns, rather than making a new city rise from the hayfields.
“As a region, we can’t talk about both sides of our mouth,” said Prebula. “If we ask people to do something, and they do it, then we need to thank them.”