Bakersfield’s Downtown Pushes for Opportunity Zone | Bakersfield News

Bakersfield’s city and county leaders are urgently lobbying the U.S. Treasury to include downtown in the federal Opportunity Zone program, arguing it’s vital for their economic future after being snubbed in the state’s latest round. The program, which launched in 2018 and previously spurred investment like Austin Smith’s three housing projects, could now reignite development—but only if one of the 27 proposed areas gets picked. Supervisor Jeff Flores sees potential for new businesses and safer neighborhoods, while city officials say exclusion threatens private investment in underserved zones. With a final decision looming before year’s end, Bakersfield’s fate hangs in the balance. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/159c58fbdf5a295b