Opportunity Zones

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About

Opportunity Zones are a new community development program established by the United States Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities nationwide. The Opportunity Zones program provides a tax incentive for investors to re-invest their unrealized capital gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs) that are dedicated to investing into Opportunity Zones designated by the chief executives of every U.S. state and territory.

On April 17, 2019, the United States Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a second round of guidance and regulations for this new program.  For more information about this program visit the summary of the program.

How An Opportunity Zone Investment Works - A Visual Representation

OZ Investment Timeline Graphic

IRS Guidance and FAQ’s

Learn more about and access the latest IRS guidance relating to deferral of gains for investments in a qualified opportunity fund. (released 4/17/2019) 

Learn more about frequently asked questions about Opportunity Zones.

Opportunity Zones in Lowell

There are five (5) U.S. Treasury designated Opportunity Zones in Lowell. They are U.S. Census Tracts:

25017311600
25017310100
25017311900
25017311800
25017311700


Please refer to the below map to see the areas that these U.S. Census Tracts cover, and to access an interactive map on which you can zoom into Lowell and other geographic areas containing Opportunity Zones.

Opportunity Zone map

Investing in Lowell’s Opportunity Zones

There are many reasons why one should consider investing in one or more of Lowell’s Opportunity Zones.  In fact, according to a recently released report by Smart Growth America’s LOCUS entitled National Opportunity Zones Ranking Report, Lowell’s Opportunity Zone in Census Tract 25017310100, which includes much of the city’s downtown, as well as the Hamilton Canal Innovation District and Jackson / Appleton / Middlesex (JAM) Urban Renewal Area, is ranked #6 in Massachusetts for "Smart Growth Potential."  Walkability, job density, and housing diversity are used as key criteria for the ranking.

MATopZones

Learn more about the City and its priorities for investment:


Lowell Opportunity Zone


To learn more about Lowell's Opportunity Zones email the Economic Development Office.

Recent News/Press Clippings About Opportunity Zones

Available Private Properties For Lease or Sale in Lowell Opportunity Zones*

The following listings are only a sample of available properties within Lowell’s Opportunity Zones and should not be construed as a complete list of all available properties.  If you are seeking assistance in identifying available properties, please email the City’s Economic Development Office.

*The City of Lowell cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained in the above linked property listings.

Additional Resources

In addition to the information contained on this page, you may also find following resources helpful:

  1. Commonwealth of MA Opportunity Zone Program page
  2. U.S. Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Opportunity Zones Resources
  3. Novogradac's Opportunity Funds Listing*
  4. Economic Innovation Group
  5. Develop Advisors' Opportunity Zone Index
  6. Opportunity Zone Catalyst Challenge

*This list of Opportunity Funds was compiled by Novogradac as a free resource. The list may not include all funds that exist and the City of Lowell cannot guarantee its accuracy, nor does it endorse the use of any of the funds listed.