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Vacaville council hears regional pitch to expand life‑sciences and advanced manufacturing
Summary
City staff and outside experts told the Vacaville City Council Dec. 4 that life‑science investment and manufacturing interest are resuming, while urging the city to address power, water and workforce training to capture jobs and investment.
Don Burris, Vacaville’s director of economic development services, and staff presented an update to the City Council on Dec. 4 on efforts to attract life‑science and advanced‑manufacturing investment to Vacaville.
The presentation featured outside experts Matt Gardner of CBRE, Lance Hastings of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association and Chris Rico of the Solano County Economic Development Corporation. Gardner said the biotech sector is showing renewed capital flows after a 2022–23 contraction, noting “we caught lightning in a bottle during the COVID period” but that market activity is returning and an IPO window is beginning to reopen. He described a robust product pipeline and said the industry’s near‑term site‑selection priorities are power, water and skilled labor.
Don Burris told council staff have met with several companies that have land or operations in the area — including Polaris, LG Chem and Transwestern — and that those firms have provided reassurances they plan to move forward with development on their property. Slater Matzke emphasized the city’s workforce partnerships, including Solano College and UC Davis, and noted an existing stackable‑certificate program (the Grama program) has produced 192 participants to date.
Experts urged Vacaville to: clarify the near‑term availability of electrical capacity for 5–10 megawatt users; preserve and expand training pipelines that produce production technicians and quality‑control staff; and coordinate regionally to present a clear power and infrastructure story to prospective employers. Chris Rico and others flagged countywide opportunities such as shipbuilding interest in nearby coastal cities and encouraged county‑level coordination to capture supply‑chain benefits for small businesses.
Council members asked detailed questions about water, wastewater and electrical capacity; staff said the Vacaville Parkway area has infrastructure for companies already in discussion but that PG&E substation upgrades scheduled for 2027–28 will determine expansion capacity for larger projects. Staff also said ARPA funding used to support training programs is winding down and they are investigating new partners and state programs to sustain training.
The council did not take a formal regulatory action on the economic strategy at the meeting but heard that staff will meet with the new city manager next Wednesday to further refine strategy recommendations and return with next steps.
Why it matters: the discussions frame city priorities for attracting multi‑million‑dollar manufacturing campuses and high‑skill jobs. Council members signaled interest in pursuing opportunities while guarding on infrastructure and funding constraints.
