Mare Island in 2026: Vallejo's Historic Waterfront Prepares for Its Next Chapter

Mare Island is a peninsula off the south end of Vallejo, a long-time home to U.S. Navy shipbuilding whose red brick buildings, dry docks, and working waterfront still line San Pablo Bay. In 2026 it is also the site of one of the most closely watched planning efforts in Solano County: the Mare Island Specific Plan, an update that could add thousands of homes to one of the Bay Area's most distinctive waterfront neighborhoods.

What is the Mare Island Specific Plan?

The Mare Island Company, the developer arm of The Nimitz Group, submitted a draft plan to the City of Vallejo in October 2024. It envisions redeveloping roughly 800 of the island's 5,000 acres into a mixed-use community with up to 14,000 homes and an estimated 14,900 to 17,000 jobs. The plan is still listed as in progress as of the city's May 2026 land use entitlement list. The city transmitted a consolidated comment letter on the draft in February 2026, including infrastructure comments from the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District, and had begun procuring an environmental review consultant. Adoption is still pending review and environmental analysis.

What is actually moving forward on the island?

Several pieces are already in motion. Harbinger Homes, formerly Factory OS, is manufacturing factory-built housing inside the historic Building 680 and ramped up production in late 2025. The island is also planned as a film hub: about 600,000 square feet of film space on 56 acres, with roughly 1,500 jobs projected. And in May 2026 the City Council reviewed a strategic plan for maritime revitalization, with the city pursuing federal SHIPS Act funding to build a maritime-industrial ecosystem on and around the island.

What is stalled, and why?

The Connolly Corridor, a mixed-use commercial district of roughly six blocks on South Mare Island with retail, hotel, housing, and open space, is paused while the city negotiates sewer and water infrastructure terms with the developer. At the July 28, 2026 City Council meeting, the developer said it would love to get started. Separately, after a fire in early January 2026, residents and local officials called for a moratorium on new island building until wastewater and water systems are upgraded. Infrastructure, in other words, is the single biggest watch item for the island's future.

Is Mare Island a good place to live right now?

For buyers today, Mare Island offers a mix of historic housing, working maritime and industrial uses, and open shoreline that no other Solano County neighborhood can match, all a short drive or ferry ride from Vallejo's mainland and roughly 45 minutes from San Francisco by ferry. Vallejo's citywide median sits near $529,000, making the wider market one of the most accessible waterfront entry points in the Bay Area. Buyers who like being early to a neighborhood story find Mare Island compelling; buyers who want finished infrastructure and immediate amenities should track the Specific Plan and the Connolly Corridor negotiations closely. For the full citywide picture, see my Vallejo Real Estate 2026 guide.