Vallejo council hears Roosevelt Group plan to revive Mare Island as a maritime hub

The Vallejo City Council heard a presentation from the Roosevelt Group on a 27-item maritime revitalization plan that prioritizes Mare Island as the city’s strategic asset for ship repair, home‑porting and a maritime technology ecosystem. Consultant Nate Pokhovich said the plan is a menu of near-, mid- and long-term actions to help Vallejo “send a demand signal” to federal and private partners and to build a coordinated regional coalition.

The plan is organized around three pillars: reestablishing shipbuilding and ship repair capacity anchored at Mare Island; pursuing a strategic presence to attract home‑porting opportunities and the supporting industrial base; and creating a workforce and innovation pipeline, including K–12 career pathways and tech accelerators connected to Cal Poly Maritime and regional labs. Pokhovich said Mare Island “is the epicenter of a maritime environment out here” and argued the city must show organization, visible leadership and some shared local investment to attract federal and private partners.

Acting City Manager Nangula Conley described the report as comprehensive and pragmatic, noting staff distilled the 27 recommendations to near-term actions that are most implementable. Conley said the plan provides a framework for targeted grant applications and for convening public‑private partners, while cautioning that some recommendations will require lengthy coordination and federal alignment.

Councilmembers pressed consultants on practical issues: energy infrastructure for advanced manufacturing, housing capacity for service members across ranks, and mechanisms to protect public investment when much maritime infrastructure sits on privately owned Mare Island. Pokhovich recommended forming a city‑led coalition or a nonprofit steering committee that includes Mare Island Company, the city, regional partners and the congressional delegation; he said a formalized single voice makes Vallejo more credible in Washington and better positioned to compete for federal funding.

Members also flagged near-term, low-cost actions staff can pursue: streamlined permitting for maritime businesses, targeted marketing to industry and federal officials, and exploratory discussions with Cal Poly Maritime and regional economic development partners to seed workforce pathways. Several residents who spoke during public comment urged transparency and careful engagement with neighborhoods that could be affected by waterfront redevelopment.

Council members generally praised the presentation and directed staff to return with next steps for forming a coalition, outlining priority near-term actions, and identifying grant and financing pathways to support candidate projects. No formal votes were taken; staff said they will incorporate council feedback into a follow-up agenda item and public engagement plan.