{"id":5018,"date":"2026-07-20T17:36:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5018"},"modified":"2026-07-20T17:36:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:36:48","slug":"3-2-billion-shipyard-project-chooses-texas-over-california-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5018","title":{"rendered":"$3.2 billion shipyard project chooses Texas over California Forever"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Saronic, an autonomous shipbuilding company long courted by California Forever, announced last Thursday that its $3.2 billion Port Alpha project will be constructed in Brownsville, Texas, instead of Solano County. Saronic expects the project will create 10,000 permanent jobs and 10,000 construction jobs during the next decade.<\/p>\n

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The project will begin with 835 acres at the already existing Port of Brownsville and could expand to more than 4,000 acres. Cameron County, Texas, recently approved a 95 percent tax abatement for the shipbuilder, but the county expects to generate more than $160 billion in regional economic impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project will help position Cameron County and the entire Rio Grande Valley at the forefront of the nation\u2019s maritime future,\u201d said Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevi\u00f1o, Jr. \u201cWe\u2019ve always known the tremendous potential our community has to offer, and we\u2019re proud that Saronic recognizes Brownsville and Cameron County as the right place to make this historic investment. Beyond the thousands of jobs the shipyard will create, this project will generate economic opportunities that will benefit our residents, local businesses, and future generations for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas Governor Greg Abbot said the announcement marked a historic moment for his state.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen this shipyard gets fully built out, there will be about 10,000 employees. Saronic is going to be providing about $750 million in annual paychecks to Texans,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s game-changing for the population of Texas. As Governor, I\u2019m proud that Saronic calls Texas home.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Solano County, however, the news sparked an hours-long blame game between local officials, California Forever, labor groups, Senator Chris Cabaldon and other stakeholders. CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, Chris Rico, described the outcome as \u201cdevastating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the location, workforce, infrastructure and maritime heritage in this community; the only thing we couldn\u2019t deliver was a clear and predictable path to build at the speed Saronic required,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for California Forever said dozens of companies are interested in investing, but placed blame on local and state leaders for not acting fast enough to land Saronic.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re absolutely certain that if California can deliver a fast permitting timeline, we can bring tens of thousands of high-wage jobs to Solano,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cSaronic\u2019s decision to go to Texas is painful evidence that apathy and political paralysis have real and terrible consequences for the people of Solano County.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vacaville Mayor John Carli scolded the Solano County Board of Supervisors for failing to meet with Saronic and treating the opportunity like a \u201cnuisance.\u201d Carli is currently running for the District 4 seat of that board and said the missed opportunity is evidence of a need for change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Solano County Board\u2019s refusal to even meet with the Saronic executive team during two separate site visits is a profound dereliction of duty,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t win generational investments by sitting on your hands. It\u2019s candidly embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cabaldon, however, placed the blame for the lost opportunity squarely on California Forever.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSolano County had real advantages to offer Saronic,\u201d Cabaldon\u2019s statement read. \u201cThey were the only realistic location on the West Coast for shipbuilding, a historic connection to that industry, a workforce ready to build, and a Board of Supervisors and Legislative partners willing to lean in and negotiate a real deal. But California Forever held the shipyard proposal hostage by tying it to their unpopular housing development proposal. When push came to shove, California Forever chose their billionaire project over bringing this opportunity to Solano County.\u201d<\/p>\n

A joint statement by California Forever, State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, California Conference of Carpenters, California Alliance for Jobs and California Manufacturers and Technology Association expressed frustration at the state legislature for failing to pass a bill streamlining the approval process. The same groups sent a letter to legislators recently supporting such legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs California\u2019s most vocal advocates for new industries, high-wage jobs, and homes people can afford, we are extremely frustrated that California lost this historic opportunity,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cShipbuilding is in California\u2019s heritage, and California was the natural home for Port Alpha.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coalition thanked Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s office for its efforts to land the shipyard in Solano County and claimed that space, proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Travis Air Force Base and the local skilled workforce made Solano County the best fit. Only the lack of action by the legislature and Solano County held up the jobs coming to Solano, they claimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coalition worked for months to draft a balanced proposal that would have enabled Saronic to choose California and Solano County,\u201d the release read. \u201cLocal and state government leaders did not pass the legislation in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coalition said the missed opportunity only further underscores the need for streamlining legislation. They stressed that the county cannot afford to let the legislation wait until next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cPassing this legislation in this legislative session is how California and Solano County demonstrate \u2014 not just claim \u2014 that we are open for business,\u201d the coalition wrote. \u201cWe look forward to working with leaders willing to step up and pass this legislation this year, so that the next dozen companies who want to come don\u2019t also end up choosing other states. Working people in Solano County and in California deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solano Together, a group opposed to the new community, also blamed California Forever for the project going to Texas while reiterating their opposition to the shipyard in the first place, citing environmental concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia Forever and Saronic had a pathway through the county at the end of the legislative session last year,\u201d a release by the organization on Thursday read. \u201cSolano County Supervisors expressed support in passing legislation that could potentially attract a shipbuilding facility in Collinsville with some common-sense guardrails, yet California Forever walked away from the table. \u201c<\/p>\n

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News sparks blame game between Solano County officials, California Forever, labor groups, Sen. 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