The City of Banning submitted five eligible census tracts to California’s Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for Opportunity Zone 2.0 consideration, filing July 1 — nearly three weeks ahead of the state’s July 20 local deadline — after its economic development committee reviewed the recommended tracts on June 25. Economic Development Manager Marisel Lopez put the stakes plainly for the Riverside County city: “We have not been awarded anything. This is a recommendation, not a designation.” That caution is well placed. GO-Biz has already shown it will cut local requests — it trimmed roughly three-quarters of neighboring Kern County’s 27 submissions from its draft list — and California has room for only about 618 nominations out of 2,469 eligible tracts under the 25% cap. The state’s draft list carries a public comment period running August 3–28, with final recommendations due to the U.S. Treasury by September 28 and any designations taking effect January 1, 2027.
Original reporting by Sarah Whitfield for Opportunity Zone Invest, an independent OZ 2.0 research site. Facts are drawn from the primary sources cited above per our editorial standards. Nothing here is tax, legal, or investment advice.
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