NC Commerce extends Opportunity Zone comment period to June 21

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Commerce has extended the public comment period for the state’s Opportunity Zone nomination process to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 21.

The department announced the extension Thursday, June 4, saying local governments, economic development organizations and members of the public will have more time to submit feedback and recommendations on eligible census tracts.

Opportunity Zones are federally designated low-income census tracts eligible for certain federal tax incentives intended to encourage long-term private investment.

According to Commerce, North Carolina may nominate up to 202 of the state’s 807 eligible low-income census tracts for the new federal Opportunity Zone designations. The U.S. Treasury is expected to certify the new zones later this year, with the designations taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said the state’s nomination process is designed to be locally driven because local elected officials and community leaders understand where investment may have the greatest effect.

Lilley said the extended deadline is intended to give more communities the chance to identify census tracts that could support housing, investment, job creation and long-term economic opportunity.

The department said public input will help align nominations with state and local priorities, including business development, job creation, housing development, community revitalization and resiliency.

The nomination process follows Gov. Josh Stein’s Executive Order No. 36, which directed Commerce to give housing creation and support significant weight when nominating eligible census tracts to the U.S. Treasury.

Commerce has published an updated Opportunity Zone webpage with information on the nomination process, a map of eligible census tracts and a public feedback form.

The extension gives local leaders additional time to review eligible tracts and submit recommendations before the state forwards nominations for federal review.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.