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National Opportunity Zones Academy Launches in Five Cities
The Rockefeller Foundation and Smart Growth America (SGA) joined forces to launch the National Opportunity Zones Academy. The academy, which will operate in five cities throughout the United States, will be responsible for attracting socially responsible investment, with the goal of driving sustainable growth in Opportunity Zones. The five cities are Chicago, Miami/Miami Beach, FL, Norfolk, VA, Pittsburgh, PA and Seattle, WA.
The Academy’s announcement follows on the heels of the Rockefeller Foundation’s launch of its Community Capacity Building Initiative, geared to benefit vulnerable communities through their Opportunity Zones.
Armed with a $400,000 grant from the Rockefeller foundation to fund the academy, SGA’s technical assistance team and its LOCUS program will work with each participating city to create place-based, community-led approaches that develop sustainable growth. Also on tap will be development strategies to help transform selected Opportunity Zones into thriving, socially inclusive, walkable neighborhoods.
The academy will provide members cities with three core benefits:
Technical assistance to increase local capacity in an effort to achieve equitable development in Opportunity Zones
Socially responsible investors through curated introductory events and online investment portals
Best practices shared through peer-to-peer learning between the five cities
“Communities have the potential to be completely transformed by the billions of dollars in capital created by the Opportunity Zone tax credit – but only if we make a deliberate effort to ensure investments benefit those the policy is intended to serve,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Opportunity Zones Academy will prioritize mobilizing capital and help cities meet the needs of those who live and work in Opportunity Zones.”
Connect Opportunity Zones will be presented for the first time on Oct. 23 in New York. For more information, or to register, click here.
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter
