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San Rafael nominates five census tracts for Opportunity Zone 2.0 consideration
Summary
The council unanimously recommended five census tracts (prioritizing a large East San Rafael tract and a downtown tract) for California's Opportunity Zone 2.0 nominations and directed staff to pursue citywide anti-displacement strategies in parallel.
San Rafael ' The City Council voted July 20 to recommend five census tracts for California's Opportunity Zone 2.0 process, with staff prioritizing a large East San Rafael tract (1122.02) and a downtown tract that staff said align best with state economic-development priorities.
Greg Minor of Community Development presented the federal Opportunity Zone 2.0 process and the state's application window. The U.S. Treasury released eligible census tracts; governors may nominate roughly 25% of those eligible tracts in each state. Staff recommended all five locally eligible tracts be forwarded to the governor's office, with priority for areas that offer business-ready sites, planned public investment, and alignment with workforce and housing objectives.
Displacement concerns and protections: Staff and council discussed legacy anti-displacement policies adopted in 2021 and 2024 tied to earlier Opportunity Zone designations; staff said the city will pursue citywide anti-displacement strategies and return to the economic-development subcommittee and council with options to protect tenants and guide investment.
Council action: Councilmember Bushey moved to adopt the resolution recommending the five tracts; the motion passed 4-0. The nomination is advisory to the governor; the state will select which nominations to certify for the federal program.
Next steps: Staff will continue community engagement, pursue anti-displacement measures citywide, and await the governor's selections, which must be submitted this fall.
