What is the Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy?

The first Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy aims to ensure that Massachusetts communities are prepared to make the most of the federal Opportunity Zones tax incentive.

LOCUS will selected 3-5 Massachusetts communities to participate in a three-part technical assistance program focusing on the role of Opportunity Zones and Opportunity Funds in stimulating investment in traditionally underserved census tracts. LOCUS’ technical assistance team will work to equip participant communities with the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary for developing sustainable growth and development strategies that balance their demand for walkability with the need for jobs, housing, open space, and transportation that is attainable and accessible to all.

The technical assistance program will consist of:

1. Kick-Off Convening at the 2019 LOCUS National Leadership Summit: Opportunity Rising  

Successful applicants will attend the 2019 LOCUS National Leadership Summit: Opportunity Rising from June 23-24, 2019 in Washington, DC. This annual meeting of real estate developers and investors, planners, policymakers, and elected officials will examine the policies, practices, and leadership strategies necessary for catalyzing prosperity, equity, and resilience in communities across the country.

As part of the Summit, Academy participants will meet each other and LOCUS’ technical  assistance team to launch the 2019 Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy, attend relevant Summit sessions, and begin framing the ways in which to leverage the Opportunity Zone program in their communities to achieve smart growth development, public and private investment, and equity goals.

Attendance at the 2019 LOCUS National Leadership Summit will be fully compensated by Smart Growth America/LOCUS thanks to the generous support of the Barr Foundation. 

2. Personalized Site Visit(s)

From July to October, LOCUS will work with selected communities to identify their individual strengths, issues, constraints, and opportunities related to Opportunity Zone-led growth and development. This will include 1-3 virtual roundtable discussions in which the technical assistance team meets with each community and their Opportunity Zone stakeholders to discuss the economic and real estate development context of each place, as well as the market and capacity gaps that exist there. Community stakeholders and the LOCUS team will then design a one-day site visit in which LOCUS will visit the community, meet stakeholders, and lead numerous training and capacity-building meetings on topics identified as being most prevalent to the community. These topics can include:

Following the site visit, the technical assistance team will create a Best Practices and Recommendations report for each participant that identifies key community priorities and action items to address their Opportunity Zones’ economic and social equity needs.

3. All-Applicant Convening at the 2019 LOCUS New England Leadership Summit

The Academy will conclude with an all-applicant convening at the 2019 LOCUS New England Leadership Summit, scheduled to take place in November 2019. All applicants, including those not selected to participate in the full Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy, will be invited to attend a convening with technical assistance recipients to learn about their experiences as part of the Academy, as well as best practices for attracting investment, developing project pipelines, establishing equitable development frameworks, and building a strong ecosystem of Opportunity Zone knowledge across the state.