Gov. Pritzker Launches Illinois Opportunity Zones 2.0 to Drive Investment in Communities Statewide

[Viable Food News Desk]

Publisher: State of Illinois
Published: August 25, 2026
Source: Read at State of Illinois
Category: Food Access

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity launched Opportunity Zones 2.0, a process to identify and nominate the next group of federally designated Opportunity Zones. The state will submit 238 qualifying census tracts to the U.S. Department of the Treasury by the end of September. Pritzker is eligible to nominate the new tracts beginning in 2027, following federal legislation that permanently reauthorized and modernized the program. The updated framework adds reporting requirements and incentives for qualifying Rural Opportunity Zones, while considering economic need, investment potential, regional balance, market readiness, and community priorities.

Why this matters: Independent grocers and food-access groups may be able to engage in the local process as community leaders or residents, but the article does not identify a direct grocery or food-access provision.

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