SELMA – Census tract designations are keeping the city of Selma on track with its development goals.
Announced on Oct. 30, the city of Selma secured three Opportunity Zone designations from the U.S. Department of Treasury. All three of the city’s submitted census tracts — small geographic regions used to track census data — received certification under the renewed federal Opportunity Zones program, which designated 620 zones total in the state.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Selma,” said Mayor Scott Robertson in a statement from the city. “We are particularly pleased to see downtown Selma included, as revitalizing our downtown remains an important priority for the city.”
For Selma, these designations provide another tool to attract investment for housing, businesses, redevelopment and other economic development projects, the announcement said.
The three tracts approved for Opportunity Zone designation include: Census Tract 70.02, referred to as Downtown Selma, Tract 71.01, referred to as Regional Investment and Housing Catalyst, and Tract 71.02, referred to as the State Route 99 Corridor.
The Downtown Selma and SR-99 Corridor tracts aim to support downtown revitalization, business development and overall investment opportunities in these areas. The Regional Investment and Housing Catalyst tract, which includes all of Selma west of Highway 99, will support opportunities for housing, infrastructure and economic development.
Of particular significance for the city is the designation of Downtown Selma, according to the announcement, which was initially eligible but not included among the state’s recommended census tracts. The city actively advocated for its inclusion, emphasizing the importance of downtown revitalization and the potential for additional private investment.
In August, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) released its list of recommended census tracts for the designations; however,only two of the three tracts Selma submitted were included on the list. On Aug. 4, the Selma City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting all three census tracts being considered for designation as Opportunity Zones.
The federal Opportunity Zones program encourages private investment in designated communities by offering potential federal tax benefits to qualifying investors. They were first established through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, according to the IRS, and initially set up to be a one-time program, with census tracts receiving the designation for 10 years, expiring on Dec. 31, 2028.
In 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act renewed the program and made it a permanent part of the federal tax code, with 10-year redesignation cycles. Census tracts that are nominated for the Opportunity Zones 2.0 cycle will have their designations go into effect on Jan. 1.
It was noted in the announcement that these Opportunity Zone designations do not provide direct funding to the city or guarantee new development. Instead, the designations can provide federal tax incentives that make qualifying projects in these areas more attractive to private investors.
“The city looks forward to working with property owners, developers, businesses and investment partners to identify opportunities that can leverage these designations to support Selma’s long-term economic development goals,” the announcement said.
For additional information about California’s Opportunity Zones program, visit the Opportunity Zones page on the GO-Biz website.
