Breathing new life into Madison’s most distressed areas

Thanks to a new economic development tool created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Greater Madison could soon see some changes to some of the region’s most economically challenged areas.

The Opportunity Zones program is designed to spur private investment in distressed communities by allowing private investment through tax incentives that are designed to accelerate economic growth and job creation.

In March 2018, 120 areas of Wisconsin were deemed eligible for the program based in part on the number of low-income households in each area, including 11 in Dane County.