The land grab near Travis Air Force Base by Flannery Associates — which has become the largest landowner in Solano County, about 60 miles northeast of San Francisco — had prompted concern that a foreign entity could be using the investment to harm US national security.
However, it turns out Flannery’s backers are a who’s who list of tech titans and investors that includes LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Emerson Collective philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, according to the New York Times.
The deep-pocketed investors reportedly plan to turn the land into their vision of an ideal city, featuring sustainable energy and a pedestrian-friendly layout.
Aside from Hoffman and Powell Jobs, Flannery’s investors reportedly include Marc Andreessen of the private venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, former Sequoia Capital partner Michael Moritz and Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison, as well as entrepreneurs Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross.
"We are proud to partner on a project that aims to deliver good-paying jobs, affordable housing, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, open space and a healthy environment to residents of Solano County," Flannery spokesperson Brian Brokaw said in a statement obtained by the Wall Street Journal.