Opportunity Zone designations in Steubenville, Mingo Junction lauded as game changers

STEUBENVILLE — Local leaders see Steubenville and Mingo Junction’s newly awarded “federal opportunity zone” status as a chance to spark development and create jobs in a county where both are badly needed. Opportunity zones are economically distressed census tracts where private investors get tax incentives designed to encourage outside investments that will support housing development, business expansion, job creation and community revitalization. The latest iteration of the program, Opportunity Zone 2.0, will be in effect beginning Jan. 1, 2027 through Dec. 31, 2036. “It shows what can occur when we work collectively toward a common