CommunityTalk to include discussion on Opportunity Zones

Posted

By Lynne Vickerstaff

Special to The SUN

Pagosa Housing Partners will be hosting the next CommunityTalk discussion on Monday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St.

CommunityTalk is a monthly conversation with the public about topics relating to housing in our community. This month’s discussion is a panel that worked to gather and consolidate information about our community and why it is prime for an Opportunity Zone investment.

The Opportunity Zone Program is a federal tax incentive program to encourage investment in rural and/or low-income areas. On Oct. 1, Pagosa Springs was asked to present its area prospectus to a large group of investors and other related individuals and companies at the 2019 Colorado Opportunity Zone Conference and Pitch Event in Denver, hosted by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The purpose of the conference was to inform the investment public on projects and communities where capital gains dollars can be invested to maximize tax benefit over the next 10 years by utilizing this new tax incentive program. Mary Jo Coulehan was among a small group of eight presenters invited to discuss investment in Colorado in a wide range of areas from manufacturing, retail, lodging and housing.

Please join us to discuss what the Opportunity Zone Program is, where it is located, why this is important to the Pagosa Springs area and what is being done to capture investment dollars for our community. The final prospectus will be shared with the public and discussion about how it developed into the document presented at the meeting.

We will have a well-informed panel to discuss these and other issues. They include: Mary Jo Coulehan, director of the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce; Andrea Phillips, town manager, Pagosa Springs; and Heather Otter, Region 9.

Pagosa Housing Partners is a nonprofit focused on expanding housing opportunities and choices in our community. Visit www.pagosahousingpartners.org for more information.