In a move that sounds more like a tech fever dream than a serious proposal, James Ingallinera, a self-described “broke startup founder,” has pitched an audacious plan to transform Alameda Point into a cutting-edge tech jurisdiction with the help of former President Donald Trump.

Ingallinera’s venture, called Frontier Valley, aims to repurpose 500 acres of the former naval base into what he calls a “massive jurisdiction for accelerating frontier tech”. His promotional video, dripping with techno-patriotic rhetoric, suggests creating a fully automated residential community for 10,000 people, complete with 3 million square feet of startup office space.

The ambitious project seeks to bypass local governance by requesting Trump declare a national emergency to “ensure U.S. supremacy in AI,” effectively handing over the land to Ingallinera’s startup vision. However, Alameda city officials were quick to dismiss the proposal, noting they already have established plans for the area, including a Veterans Affairs medical facility and a regional park.

Ingallinera’s background is as unconventional as his proposal. With previous experience running a coliving space and a brief stint at Bain Capital, he’s positioning Frontier Valley as a way to “blow past China” in technological innovation. The proposal draws inspiration from the controversial “startup cities” movement, which advocates for independently governed tech-focused jurisdictions.

Local residents have met the proposal with skepticism and mockery. Comments on local forums range from calling it “the dumbest, most tech-brained garbage idea” to critiquing Ingallinera’s presentation style as quintessentially “startup bro”.

While the proposal reads like a speculative fiction screenplay, it highlights the ongoing tension between tech ambition and local community interests in the Bay Area. Ingallinera’s grand vision of a “new epicenter for Silicon Valley innovation” remains just that - a vision - with no clear path to reality.

As the proposal continues to generate buzz, one thing is certain: the audacity of tech entrepreneurs in reimagining urban spaces shows no signs of slowing down.