All 91 Colorado Opportunity Zones OK’d for federal designation

DENVER — All 91 geographic areas in Colorado — including several in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado — that were submitted for federal designation through the Opportunity Zone initiative have been approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Gov. Jared Polis announced Monday.

The federal incentive encourages long-term investments in designated low-income communities, helping rural and urban communities attract new development and investment capital. The 91 newly approved opportunity zones will go live for investment on Jan.1.

“This complete approval is a major milestone for economic growth in Colorado,” Polis said in a prepared statement. “Successful designation of our new opportunity zones now has the potential to generate over $4 billion in investments in some of our Colorado communities that need it the most, improving infrastructure, building new housing and manufacturing, and growing businesses across the state.”

The state submitted the 91 zones for approval after a several-month stakeholder engagement process led by the Business Funding and Incentives division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. OEDIT solicited input from communities across the state to support Polis in nominating low-income census tracts to be Opportunity Zones, including more than 100 stakeholder engagement meetings, six statewide webinars, four regional in-person convenings, and a survey open to individuals across the state.

“We are delighted to have the Treasury Department approve all of the 91 governor-nominated Opportunity Zones — a true testament to the months of locally-informed collaboration that shaped our submission,” OEDIT executive director Eve Lieberman said in a news release. “By targeting long-term investment opportunities from rural communities to urban centers, these zones will boost the success of our communities, businesses, workers, and the families who call this state home.”

Through the program, private investors receive tax benefits for investing in real estate, infrastructure projects and operating businesses in designated zones. OEDIT will provide grant funding to Colorado communities within Opportunity Zones to help them attract investment. Guidance on these grant opportunities will be released before the end of the year and OEDIT will offer webinars and additional information on accessing these grants in early 2027.

Interested communities can visit the Colorado Opportunity Zones webpage and sign up to receive email updates.

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