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Community stability is key to business financial success
When a grocery store decides to build in a new location, plenty of research goes into where exactly that should be, said Tammie Hoy Hawkins, CEO of CommunityWorks in Greenville. “Grocery stores really do their financial calculations on rooftops,” she said. “Harris Teeter doesn’t just decide to go on a certain street. They do an entire financial analysis.” Other businesses do the same. To be healthy, neighborhoods must be able to attract businesses — like grocery stores. Community members get convenient access to goods, while companies get customers who spend money on their products. The more economic development or income an area has, the more business it’s able to attract.…
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Trump is touting Opportunity Zones as a huge success with no proof
LOUISVILLE — In more than 15 separate public appearances since the protests over George Floyd’s death began, President Donald Trump has touted the success of his administration’s Opportunity Zones program, claiming it has created “tens of thousands of jobs” in poor Black communities across the U.S. But those who track the tax-break program say such claims are impossible to prove, and that the bulk of the investments to date have gone to real estate deals that do not produce long-term jobs. A recent White House report on the program estimates $75 billion has been raised nationwide for Opportunity Zone investments but the White House has been unable to provide a…
