Gov. Jim Pillen has nominated 28 Nebraska census tracts for designation under the new federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, including five in Lincoln. State leaders hope the incentives will attract private investment and accelerate workforce housing development across Nebraska.
The nominations include five zones in Lincoln, one each in Bellevue, Columbus, Fremont and Norfolk, 10 in Omaha, and one each in Alliance, Beatrice, Crete, Hastings, Lexington, McCook, North Platte, Ogallala and Scottsbluff. The nominations have been submitted to the U.S. Treasury, with the designations expected to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Pillen said the redesigned program is a significant improvement over the original Opportunity Zones initiative because it places a stronger emphasis on creating affordable workforce housing while encouraging long-term private investment…