$215 Billion New City Gets Historic Labor Deal

California Forever just brokered the largest construction labor agreement in American history. Business and labor are calling on California to break ground in 2026 on a $215 billion new city—and YIMBY is winning.

Archived tweet

California Forever has brokered the largest construction labor agreement in American history, uniting business and labor to build a $215 billion new city north of San Francisco. YIMBY wins, you love to see it https://t.co/89UPtdKBg5 [Quoting @jansramek]: 1/ For 250 years, America has been forged by partnerships of American business and labor. 🇺🇸 Today, business and labor have come together in the largest construction labor agreement in history to build the next great American city, and call on California to break ground in 2026. https://t.co/7UDICSyWQC

Garry Tan @garrytan January 28, 2026

The Numbers Are Staggering

This isn’t some utopian fantasy. It’s real, it’s funded, and it’s ready to build.

According to California Forever, the project represents a historic $215 billion private investment over the next four decades. We’re talking 530,000 new jobs, 170,000 new homes, and more than $16 billion in annual tax revenue for local, state, and federal governments.

The city will rise on 100 square miles in Solano County, halfway between Silicon Valley and Sacramento. This is the partnership of business and labor that has forged America for 250 years—now coming together at unprecedented scale.

Business + Labor = Actually Building Things

Here’s why this matters: YIMBY wins by working with labor, not against it.

Archived tweet

1/ For 250 years, America has been forged by partnerships of American business and labor. 🇺🇸 Today, business and labor have come together in the largest construction labor agreement in history to build the next great American city, and call on California to break ground in 2026. https://t.co/7UDICSyWQC

Jan Sramek 🇺🇲 🌁 ⛰️ @jansramek January 21, 2026

The Napa-Solano Building and Construction Trades Council and NorCal Carpenters are key partners on this project.

That’s what abundance looks like when you do it right—not fighting over scraps, but creating enough for everyone. Union carpenters from Fairfield describe it as personal. They can build the future of their own community instead of commuting two hours and three bridges away just to work.

What’s Actually Getting Built

This isn’t vaporware. Here’s what’s on the table:

Solano Foundry: America’s largest advanced manufacturing park. We’re bringing manufacturing back to California.

Solano Shipyard: The largest shipyard in the country. The Bay Area was once one of the great shipbuilding regions—it’s time to revive that heritage.

First walkable city built in a century: Designed for people, not just cars. Housing for 400,000 Californians at attainable prices for workers—not just the tech elite.

As former World Bank Principal Planner Alain Bertaud put it: “Many plans for new cities are utopian fantasies. This one is real, and ready to build.”

The Call to Action

The target is to break ground in 2026—America’s 250th anniversary.

Over 1,149 signatories have already signed the open letter, including former California Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg and former State Senator Bill Dodd. The land is ready. The plans are ready. The workers are ready.

As Jan Sramek said: “California is awakening. It’s all up to us.”

All we need is permission to get to work. If you want to see the next great American city break ground in 2026, sign the open letter at californiaforever.com/breakgroundnow.

Follow @garrytan for more.