Gov. Bill Lee and other state and federal officials rolled out a second round of President Donald Trump’s Opportunity Zones initiative without details on the success of the program's first phase.
The governor hosted U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner in Nashville last Wednesday as part of a roundtable discussion promoting the next phase.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D 2C6 567:?65 2D “64@?@>:42==J 5:DEC6DD65 2C62D” :56?E:7:65 3J E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E E92E FE:=:K6D E2I :?46?E:G6D “E@ DAFC AC:G2E6 2?5 AF3=:4 :?G6DE>6?E :? p>6C:42’D F?56C:?G6DE65 4@>>F?:E:6D[” :?4=F5:?8 E96 4C62E:@? @7 9@FD:?8[ 4@>>6C4:2= AC@A6CE:6D 2?5 @E96C AC@;64ED[ 2D A2CE @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE@C6]E2I]E9@>D@?C6FE6CD]4@>^244@F?E:?8^%2I^r@>A=6E6\p?2=JD:D\@7\E96\%2I\rFED\2?5\y@3D\p4E^A^`_d_hb`_cnDCD=E:5lp7>q~@@ayg:rw+czF'8g`)t0\`}frd:4%h@Jr\`F%!ygIh\~={>``c&0Qma_`f %2I rFED 2?5 y@3D p4Ek^2m]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%96 7:CDE :E6C2E:@? @7 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D 92G6 366? G6CJ EC2?D7@C>2E:G6 :? @FC 4@F?ECJ[ 2?5 xV> =@@<:?8 H:E9 8C62E 2?E:4:A2E:@? D:?46 E96 (@C<:?8 u2>:=:6D %2I rFED 92D >256 E96 D64@?5 :E6C2E:@? @7 E96 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D a]_ A6C>2?6?E[” %FC?6C D2:5 5FC:?8 @A6?:?8 C6>2C<D @7 E96 C@F?5E23=6 5:D4FDD:@?] “x 92G6 8C62E 2?E:4:A2E:@? E92E :E H:== 36 6G6? >@C6 EC2?D7@C>2E:G6 :? E96 J62CD 8@:?8 7@CH2C5 3642FD6 H6VG6 =62C?65 2 =@E 2?5 H6V== E2=< 23@FE :E 96C6]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9@D6 56E2:=D H6C6 ?@E >256 AF3=:4[ 2D E96 AC6DD H2D @?=J A6C>:EE65 E@ 962C E96 @A6?:?8 C6>2C<D @7 E96 5:D4FDD:@? 2?5 E96? 6?82865 :? 2 A@DE\5:D4FDD:@? AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 2E (:==:2> #] $?@58C2DD %6??6DD66 %@H6C] %96 DE2E6 H:== ?@>:?2E6 2 ?6H C@F?5 @7 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D :? a_ae[ H:E9 E9@D6 56D:8?2E:@?D E2<:?8 67764E @? y2?F2CJ `[ a_af]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“(6VG6 =62C?65 7C@> DE2<69@=56CD E@52J E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E 92G6 366? 5@?6 H6== 2?5 E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E H6 ?665 E@ H@C< @? 2?5 5@ 36EE6C[” %FC?6C =2E6C D2:5 5FC:?8 E96 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46[ @776C:?8 ?@ DA64:7:4D 23@FE H92E E9@D6 DF446DD6D @C 492==6?86D 2C6 :? E96 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? @7 E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%FC?6C 2DDF>65 9:D 4FCC6?E C@=6 :? a_ad[ 2?5 AC6G:@FD=J =65 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 ~AA@CEF?:EJ 2?5 #6G:E2=:K2E:@? r@F?4:= 2?5 D6CG65 :? E96 %6I2D DE2E6 9@FD6 27E6C 2 42C66C :? E96 }2E:@?2= u@@E32== {628F6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw&s E@FED E96 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 e[___ 9@>6D 2?5 ac[___ ;@3D :? E96 7:CDE A92D6 @7 E96 AC@;64E :? %6??6DD66[ 3FE ?6:E96C %FC?6C[ {66 @C &]$] $6?] q:== w286CEJ[ H9@ 2=D@ E@@< A2CE :? E96 5:D4FDD:@? 2?5 AC6DD6C[ H@F=5 8:G6 2?J DA64:7:4 6I2>A=6D @7 DF446DD7F= AC@;64ED :? E96 DE2E6 E92E H6C6 4C62E65 3J E96 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6 :?46?E:G6] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 k6>m!@DE k^6>mC624965 @FE E@ E96 %6??6DD66 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t4@?@>:4 U2>Aj r@>>F?:EJ s6G6=@A>6?E E@ 2D< 7@C 2 AC@;64E =:DE @C 6I2>A=6D @7 4@>A=6E65 AC@;64ED 7@C 4=2C:7:42E:@?] %96 56A2CE>6?E H2D ?@E 23=6 E@ C6EFC? E9@D6 DA64:7:4D 3J E96 E:>6 @7 AF3=:42E:@? 2?5 DE2E65 E92E :E H2D :? E96 AC@46DD @7 E96 C656D:8?2E:@?D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 vC62E6C }2D9G:==6 #68:@?2= r@F?4:= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]8C62E6C?2D9G:==6B@K]@C8^>2:?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm92D 2 A286 565:42E65 E@ E96 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6Dk^2m 2?5 92D 2 =:?<65 AC@;64E =:DE[ 3FE E92E =:?< E2<6D E96 FD6C E@ 2? pC4vx$ >2A =@8:? A286 E92E ?665D DA64:2= 2446DD] %96 k6>m!@DE k^6>mC624965 @FE E@ 2D< :7 E96 =:DE H2D AF3=:4 2?5 H2D 5:C64E65 E@ %}trs]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx? a_a`[ !q$ C6A@CE65 E92E E96 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D 92G6 ?@E 2=H2JD 366? DF446DD7F= @C H92E E96J D66>[ C6A@CE:?8 E92E D@>6 92G6 366? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGl'BGdD?0II*tQm“6IA=@:E65 3J :?G6DE@CD]”k^2mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm{66 5:5 D2J E92E %6??6DD66 :D “@?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE FD6CD @7 @AA@CEF?:EJ K@?6D :? E96 4@F?ECJ[” 2?5 E96 “D:IE9 >@DE 6?82865 DE2E6 :? E96 4@F?ECJ” 2?5 “E96 =2C86DE FD6C @7 @AA@CEF?:EJ K@?6D 7@C CFC2= 56G6=@A>6?E]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%92EVD 2 G6CJ 8@@5 E9:?8] xE >62?D E92E @FC 56G6=@A>6?E 4@>>F?:EJ[ @FC :?G6DE@CD[ 2C6 FD:?8 E9:D AC@8C2> E@ DE:>F=2E6 64@?@>:4 24E:G:EJ 24C@DD @FC DE2E6[” {66 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D 2C6 D@>6E9:?8 E92E :D 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 E96 A9:=@D@A9J H6 92G6 96C6i E92E 8@G6C?>6?E :D ?@E E96 2?DH6C E@ 4C62E:?8 2 36EE6C H2J @7 =:76 7@C @FC A6@A=6[ 3FE H6 92G6 2 C62==J :>A@CE2?E C@=6[ 2?5 E92E :D E@ 4C62E6 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E D@ E96 A6@A=6 42? 4C62E6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ[” {66 D2:5 62C=:6C :? 9:D @A6?:?8 C6>2C<D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw286CEJ[ H9@ D6CG6D @? E96 &]$] $6?2E6 r@>>:EE66 @? q2?<:?8[ w@FD:?8[ 2?5 &C32? p772:CD[ D2:5 E92E |6>A9:D 4@F=5 D66 36?67:ED 7C@> E96 AC@8C2> 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 @?8@:?8 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @A6C2E:@?D 3J E96 |6>A9:D $276 %2D< u@C46]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x E9:?< H6 92G6 C62= A@E6?E:2= E@ 6IA2?5 E9@D6 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D[ 6IA2?5 E96 FE:=:K2E:@? @7 H92E H6 2=C625J 8@E DE2CE65 E96C6[ 2?5 x E9:?< :E 9@=5D ;FDE 5C2>2E:4 A@E6?E:2= 7@C E92E 4:EJ :? A2CE:4F=2C[ 2D H6== 2D E96 CFC2= 2C62D 96C6 :? %6??6DD66[” w286CEJ D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw286CEJ 2=D@ E@FE65 9:D AC@A@D65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9286CEJ]D6?2E6]8@G^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^a_ae^_c^`c^9286CEJ\:?EC@5F46D\7C665@>\E@\3F:=5\24E\E@\>2<6\9@FD:?8\277@C523=6\282:?^QmuC665@> E@ qF:=5 q24< 3:==k^2m[ 7:CDE :?EC@5F465 :? pAC:=[ H9:49 96 2C8F6D H@F=5 “6?92?46” 2?@E96C 9@FD:?8 3:==[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C@D6?]D6?2E6]8@G^a_ae^_e^aa^C@D6?\96=AD\A2DD\3:A2CE:D2?\3:==\E@\=@H6C\9@FD:?8\4@DED\:?4C62D6\DFAA=J^Qma`DE r6?EFCJ #~ps E@ w@FD:?8 p4Ek^2m[ 2?5 “E2C86E @?6 @7 E96 32CC:6CD” H:E9 E96 7:CDE :E6C2E:@? @7 E96 ~AA@CEF?:EJ +@?6D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%92E :D =@42= 2?5 DE2E6 A6C>:EE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED[ 2?5 E92E D4=6C@D:D E92E 6I:DED :? E96 DJDE6>[ E92E x E9:?< H6 42? 8@ E9C@F89 7C@> 2 C68F=2E@CJ DE2?5A@:?E 2?5 DEC62>=:?6] p?5 E9:D :?46?E:G:K6D E96 =@42= DE2E6\=6G6= =6256CD E@ DEC62>=:?6 E96:C A6C>:EE:?8 AC@46DD6D[” w286CEJ D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%96 uC665@> E@ qF:=5 p4E H:== 24EF2==J :?46?E:G:K6 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 2FE9@C:E:6D E@ DEC62>=:?6 E96D6 C68F=2E@CJ 3FC56?D 2?5 >2<6 :E >F49 >@C6 67764E:G6[ >F49 >@C6 4@DE\67764E:G6 H:E9@FE 4@DE:?8 E2IA2J6CD]”k^Am

