New Jersey is running one of the most open nomination processes of the cycle, and it closes August 28. Governor Mikie Sherrill tasked the Department of Community Affairs and the Economic Development Authority with a joint public engagement period in which residents, municipalities, counties, developers, community organizations, labor, and employers can all nominate specific census tracts through an online form — attaching development-pipeline detail and letters of support. “As we evaluate eligible Opportunity Zones, we’re taking the time to hear directly from people who know these neighborhoods best,” Sherrill said. The stakes: 516 New Jersey tracts qualify, spread across 20 of the state’s 21 counties, and the governor may nominate up to 129 of them under the 25% federal cap. DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez framed the goal as directing investment “where it can have the greatest impact,” while NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Evan Weiss said the input period should help “underrepresented communities that have a strong plan” win designation. The state has published its scoring priorities in advance — investment potential and developable land near transit and employment; housing capacity across the affordability spectrum; and economic distress paired with evidence of real community engagement — and has committed to spreading zones across the state rather than concentrating them. New Jersey currently holds 169 OZ 1.0 zones; the new map takes 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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