Wayne County has had two Census tracts nominated for a federal Opportunity Zone designation that could help spark further development.
Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County and the city of Richmond partnered to identify areas where a designation could have the greatest impact, said EDC’s Kayla Robinson. One tract includes Richmond’s Midwest Industrial Park and the nearby Northwest Industrial Park interchange near U.S. 35. The second is in Richmond’s downtown and Depot district. Robinson described the tracts as “prime for continued investment and growth.”
One current opportunity zone in Richmond, Census Tract 9, didn’t make the state’s nomination list. Robinson said the addition of Tract 6 is better aligned with the program.
According to Indiana’s EDC, the program offers federal capital gains tax incentives for investors who invest eligible capital through Qualified Opportunity Funds.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s office announced the state nominated 126 census tracts for the 2027-2036 designation cycle, out of 501 eligible tracts. The closest other nominated areas are in New Castle and Muncie, EDC President Valerie Shaffer said.
A version of this article appeared in the October 14 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
