N.C. Commerce Extends Public Comment Period to Help Identify New Opportunity Zones in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Commerce today announced an extension of the public comment period for the state’s Opportunity Zone nomination process, providing local governments, economic development organizations, and members of the public additional time to submit feedback and recommendations on eligible census tracts for consideration as North Carolina’s new Opportunity Zones.

The extended deadline to submit nominations is now 11:59 pm on Sunday, June 21, 2026, providing local leaders and the public an additional two weeks to provide feedback.

“North Carolina’s Opportunity Zone nomination process is intentionally locally driven because local elected officials and community leaders have the strongest understanding of where investment can create lasting impact,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “We are extending the comment deadline to ensure more local communities help identify the census tracts with the greatest potential to support housing, attract investment, create jobs, and strengthen long-term economic opportunity.” 

North Carolina may nominate up to 202 of the 807 eligible low-income census tracts for federal Opportunity Zone designation. These designated tracts are eligible for certain federal tax incentives intended to encourage long-term private investment. Public input will help strategically align nominations with state and local priorities, including business development, job creation, housing development, and community revitalization and resiliency.

The extension follows Governor’s Josh Stein’s Executive Order No. 36: Increasing Housing Opportunities for All North Carolinians which directed the Commerce Department to give housing creation and support significant weight in the process for nominating eligible census tracts to the United States Treasury to be designated Opportunity Zones, which aligns with the guiding principles and questions outlined on the public feedback form.

Commerce has published an updated web page at commerce.nc.gov/oz offering additional information on the nomination process, a map of the 807 low-income census tracts eligible for nomination, and the public feedback form that can be downloaded and returned to the Department.

The U.S. Treasury is expected to certify the new Opportunity Zones later this year, with the designations taking effect on January 1, 2027.