CEDC knows that economic development is about more than attracting investment. It’s about creating lasting opportunities for growth that benefit everyone in our area. That’s why in 2016/17  CEDC  advocated for the establishment of a Chippewa County Opportunity Zone, what is known as Census Tract 105 in Chippewa Falls. This area was identified as  a Low-Income Community Opportunity Zone and forwarded on to the state and federal government for designation. Covering 7.4 square miles and home to around 5,400 residents, the Census Tract 105 was officially designated as the only Opportunity Zone in Chippewa County. This federal designation provides tax incentives for investors who direct capital into projects that revitalize underserved areas. As a result, Chippewa Falls gained  valuable projects and attracted new investment that increased the net new construction and brought more tax revenue into local governments coffers.

For those who don’t remember – the opportunity zone program began in 2016 and was later included in the Investing in Opportunity Act of 2017. The effort was bipartisan, led by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ and Representative Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and our own local at the time Representative Ron Kind (D-WI). Many of the act’s provisions became law through the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, signed by President Donald Trump. Therefore, communities like Chippewa Falls  gained access to a framework designed to attract private investment into low-income areas. During that time we worked directly with our state officials, local stakeholders, and federal partners to highlight the potential of Census Tract 105. In doing so, CEDC helped  align community priorities with federal policy tools and secured Chippewa County’s place on the Opportunity Zone map.

 Preparing sites and infrastructure for future investment, telling the community’s story to attract those right investors, and expanding on the continuation of building partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors have been our focused efforts concerning The Zone. Now with the passage of Opportunity Zone 2.0 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, CEDC is planning to utilize The Zone even more.  Opportunity Zone 2.0 includes rural-first incentives, stronger transparency rules, and a new designation cycle.

In 2026 we are preparing to:

  • Advocate for re-designation and possible expansion of any Chippewa County eligible tracts

  • Leverage our Hatch and BEAR connections and look into establishing Qualified Rural Opportunity Funds (QROFs) with regional investors

  • Promote  our existing shovel-ready sites and identify innovative adaptive reuse opportunities

As the county’s only Opportunity Zone, Census Tract 105 has proven to be a valuable economic development tool for our community to shape its economic future and we look forward to Opportunity Zone 2.0.